Desert Heat
by thislittlemockingjay97
Summary: -Even in this heat, I still have the love to kill . It quenches me like a gallon of water. It really is satisfying. This, my fellow murderers, is the Seventy-Third annual Hunger Games.
1. Death Season

**Okay, so this story got deleted because 'it was interactive' or whatever. Honestly, let me share my opinion. This is FANFICTION. 'Unleash your imagination'? How are we supposed to do that if we can't do stories like these? Psh, a load of bologna if you ask me-.- Anyway, so here's chapter one, you don't need to read this, considering all of my readers have already read this. I'll be doing a mass-upload of these today so I can catch up. Try to leave reviews, though. It would suck, considering I don't have any more reviews, and I had like almost 100 of them (until it got deleted *cough**cough*)... But I will post the Sponsor Points from chapter ten:L**

**********************Hikari Darkness: 0 pts. - EnnixiaMaeLin: 51 pts. - Weirdness-is-cool: 20 pts. - Iwasscreaming LONG LIVE: 40 pts. - Sallen: 30 pts. - CodyOnTheBounce T.V.: 41 pts. - jblonde123: 12 pts.- Munamana: 16 pts. - M30WHelloKellyM30W: 18 pts. - Desdemona312: 26 pts. - Rue's sis: 16 pts. - the silence will fall: 20 pts. - ChibiPanda315: 14 pts. - vivaciousvesper739: 12 pts. - shadowboy8456: 12 pts. - Sarah303: 4 pts.**  


**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Hunger Games? Nope. The tributes? No, only Rhine. Enjoy this thrilling adventure once more:L  
**

**Chapter One- Death Season**

**Thalia Storm**

"Thaaaalia." Blaze whispers in my ear, "Wake uuuup. It's Reaping day!" I felt my eyes flutter open. It _is_ Reaping Day. I sit up in my bed and look over. There stands my little brother, Blaze, with his smiley self. Dimples and all.

I let out a much-needed yawn and stretch my muscles, "Morning, Blaze." I say happily. I'm usually not a morning person, but Reaping Day always gets me in the mood. My feet swing over the side of the bed and touch the soft, plush carpet, much better than the old wooden floor I had. Cold feet almost every morning…

"I'm gonna go get dressed!" Blaze chirps as he scurries out of the room- as if he actually had to worry as to what he looked like today. The boy's only ten, he's still got a few more years. Only two, but still. I can't protect him from the inevitable. If he was a girl, I'd be able to volunteer, but I obviously can't.

I pull a little blue sundress I've been reserving for today. Blue is my favorite color of all time. The dress slips over my body with ease and I put a pair of white sandals on my feet to match the dress. I walk to the bathroom and grab a brush from the drawer under the sink, at the same moment that I began to brush my hair, dad appeared at the door.

"Ready to volunteer today?" He asks me. I let out a sigh in annoyance.

"Yes daddy." I tell him. I was going to wait until I was eighteen, but he wants me to go into the Games this year. Lovely, right? I could've gotten two more years of training in!

He smiles, and his skin next to his eyes crinkle in joy. Oh father…

Dad walks down the hall to the kitchen, leaving me to finish up my morning duties. Soon enough, it's almost time to go. Oh, where has the time gone? I haven't even gotten to eat breakfast! "…Damnit…" I curse under my breath. I hurry my way into the kitchen and grab a slice of toast from the table just before I leave the house and make my way to the square.

I finish the last bit of my breakfast just as I stand next to my friends Faythe and Calla, "Running late again?" Calla jokes, smirking. I just roll my eyes at her.

"Of course!" I respond back, then proceed to elbow her in the side. We all start to laugh as the mayor makes way up to the podium, standing tall this year. This is the year of the Careers, I just _know_ it. And this year, it'll be me.

The mayor finishes up the treaty of treason, and Gaizah Fidlle, the District's escort of a few years, happily comes up to the podium. This year, she's covered head-to-toe in sapphires, rubies, emeralds… you get the point. I look down at my hands as Gaizah reaches into the girls' bowl and reaps out a name. She opens it, reads it, and then walks back over to the microphone to say the name, "Arlene Miziosa!" She chirps. A tall redhead starts to walk up, but I do her a favor.

"I volunteer!" I try to sound as calm and natural as possible. It's not that I'm nervous, but whenever a person from the Career districts volunteer themselves, they tend to sound frazzled and rushed to get up there. I'm not in a rush, I calmly walk up to the stage, front and center, and stand on Gaizah's right side, staring out into the crowd. I see daddy giving me a thumbs-up from the back of the enormous crowd, and Blaze smiles ear-to-ear. Mom doesn't look quite as jazzed, but I can barely make out a grim smile across her face.

"-And may I ask your name, my dear?" She asks of me. I rip my eyes from the crowd and face her.

"Thalia Storm." I reply cooly. My hands are at my sides, and so far, I feel as though I'm pulling off a perfect expressionless mask- and I probably am! Oh, how I pity the past tributes. The ones that failed to return home and played up the audience too much- that won't be me. The narcissists, they were the worst. I'm not like that. I'm a victor.

I was so into my thoughts that I didn't notice the boy tribute standing on the other side of our jewel-encrusted escort, "Thalia Storm and Alabaster Rhoan, tributes of District One, shake hands!" Gaizah cheers. We do as told and the audience roars in gleefulness. This year, the seventy-third Games are mine.

**Cameron Derell**

I always get up in the early dawning hours of the Reaping Day. It gives me enough time to get ready and finish some hard-working training sessions. Today especially. This was the year I was finally going to volunteer, and I'll enjoy every second of it. In fact, I'll have the most amusement it murdering the wastes of space like how my mother was. It was because of that event that I'm the coldhearted, bloodthirsty person I am today. I seek the blood of the person who killed my mother, she was there for me when my abusive father wasn't. When we had a house fire, and I had gotten my burn marks, she helped me get well again so that I could continue training for today.

I'm going to enjoy breaking the necks of the meek and useless.

Before I even tried to put my Reaping clothes on, I made sure to re-dress my burn. It's a difficult task, but I manage. And if I don't, I'll be sitting in pure pain pretty much the entire time throughout the Reapings. I don't want to make my favorite day of the year the most painful.

After my back is all covered, I pull a white dress shirt over my torso and begin to button it up. After that, I put on a pair of white pants and slide dress shoes onto my feet before swiping a hand through my hair and stepping out of my room.

I didn't even hear him coming. But I sure as hell felt him. A sharp, quick smack to the head made me turn around faster than you could blink.

Another day with my abusive father. Lovely.

"Get to the Reaping." He says somewhat calmly. This can only mean that if I don't listen to him, then I'm bound to get a thorough beating for sure. I'm scared of one thing, and one thing only- my own father. But nobody knows that, because if they have, I've known about it, and they haven't made it back home at the end of the day.

Or ever.

I nod, "Yes sir." And scramble out of the house, not even turning back to grab a bite to eat. Usually, I disobey his orders and stay a little extra longer so I can eat, but I don't need any injuries before the Games- even if they are just bruises.

There's no one for me to meet up with at the square, I have no friends. Friends are a sign of weakness, and I am not weak. I'm the strongest of them all, and I'll show the entire nation of Panem within a few days' time.

They'll see. They'll _all_ see. I hope my mother's murderer sees me on television, twisting a kid's head off of his shoulders like a pen cap. Then _he'll_ know the brute strength I have to take him down when I find him. He'll know then.

I notice myself shaking and make myself stop suddenly, I _can't_ miss my chance to volunteer. I abso_lutely _cannot.

Forever-perky and energetic Cadence Crimly picks a girl's name from the glass bowl, "Ladies first!" She trills. I shudder in annoyance. Nothing is worse than the Capitol-ites' voices. The Games I can handle, but they are just too annoying for anyone to stand.

"Melanie Dusk." She annunciates the name so clearly, so soundly, that it gets so quiet you can hear a pin drop. You hear a girl gasp and then her feet (I infer them to be hers, anyway.) shuffle as she walks up to the stage. No one's volunteering for her? Disappointing, really. Melanie is a stick of a girl. _'Easier to break…' _I think smugly. She stands up there on stage, head held high, looking proud like a District 2 tribute should. Her hands fiddle with the red silky ribbon that winds itself around the dress she wears. _'She looks so pathetic…'_ I mutter mentally. She better be a good killer in the arena, or I'll rid her myself.

"Now, onto the young men!" Cadence says excitedly. She wobbles her way over to the boys' bowl in her heels and draws a name, "Kinzel Wies!" She says, looking up from the slip of paper and smiles the fakest smile on the face of the planet. A sixteen-year old steps into the aisle from behind me. I let out a sigh of annoyance.

"I volunteer." I say, it comes out quite arrogant. Good, that's what District 2 is here for.

When I make myself known on stage, I don't skip a single moment in telling my name to the country, "I'm Cameron Derell." I say aloud, smirking and looking over at Melanie. She rolls her eyes at me and sticks her nose up. …The nerve.

"Oh good! District Two, meet Cameron Derell and Melanie Dusk, your tributes for this year's annual Hunger Games!" Cadence says, egging on the crowd. We shake hands- both of us definitely unwilling- and it was said and done. I've done my duties, and now onto the real fun.

**Corta Lee**

I dig my nails into my palms in order to not start screaming out various produce items. It's a tic- I can't help the fact that I have tourettes, alright? I'm pretty much as normal as everyone else. But when I'm at the Reaping- like right now- and the mayor is reading the Treaty of Treason, shouting and causing distruption is labeled unnecessary and disrespectful by all means. I feel myself let out a low whimper, something that happens when I hold in my tics too long. Urg… Why now? Why? Why? Why?

The flowers! I grab one from my hair and start plucking off the petals one by one to distract myself- and it works fairly well until the escort announces the boy tribute. "Marco Quarry!"

"Apples!" I shout, as the escort's voice still tries to coax Marco up to the stage. Good. It wasn't too loud. I look down at my hands. Darnit! I'm bleeding… I've dug my nails too far into my hands again… Ugh!

When Marco finally appears onto the stage, the escort, whose name I never bother to remember, says, "Time for the girls!" And reaches a hand into the bowl, "Corta Lee!" I could easily hear Emelia and Dava gasping from behind the twelve-year old group behind me. At least they won't have to go into the Games. They're too old now to worry about it…

I bite my lip as I walk up to the stage to prevent another 'apple attack' as I call my tics. All-too-suddenly, I'm up on stage, standing next to the escort, with Marco on the other side. We were told to shake hands. And shake hands we did.

**Author's note: Enjoyable, no? Hahaha read on, review, and come back for more!(:**

**~Adrienne~  
**


	2. Fishing out names

**Yup, chapter two- where districts 4, 5, and 6 reside. Nice, isn't it?:L Hahaha enough goofing around. I'll repost the Sponsor Points again up 'til chapter ten:P  
**

******************************Hikari Darkness: 0 pts. - EnnixiaMaeLin: 51 pts. - Weirdness-is-cool: 20 pts. - Iwasscreaming LONG LIVE: 40 pts. - Sallen: 30 pts. - CodyOnTheBounce T.V.: 41 pts. - jblonde123: 12 pts.- Munamana: 16 pts. - M30WHelloKellyM30W: 18 pts. - Desdemona312: 26 pts. - Rue's sis: 16 pts. - the silence will fall: 20 pts. - ChibiPanda315: 14 pts. - vivaciousvesper739: 12 pts. - shadowboy8456: 12 pts. - Sarah303: 4 pts.**

**Disclaimer: 'I own the Hunger Games now! Eff yeah!' *shot down* Haha, I wish I could really say that... D:  
**

**Chapter Two- Fishing out names**

**Breandan Angler**

"Breandan, wake up. You're gonna be late to the Reapings." Little Alice shook me awake. I open my one good eye and see her leaning over my bed, her long black hair falling into her eyes.

"Agh!" I climb out of bed and look at the clock, she's right. Fifteen minutes! "Thank you so much, Ali!" I grab some Reaping clothes and scurry to the bathroom- better just to get everything done at once. I pull on my shirt while I run a comb through my hair a few times, and then pull my bottoms on. There's no time for breakfast today- I brush my teeth and hurry back into my room to slip some shoes on afterward. I let out a sigh of relief as I see that I got that all done within the time span of about five minutes. That's slightly reassuring. But that means the event starts in ten minutes …and it takes me about seven to get there. Damn…

"Alright! Out the door!" I shout, at the same time, John, Alice, and Jenny all filed out through the door before I did. They were the only ones who were in Reaping age besides me.

The four of us ran full-speed to the square, just in time to check-in and stand in our designated spots. I went to the sixteen-year old group, John went to the fifteens, Alice-fourteens, and Jenny went to the twelves. Something's going to happen at this year's Reaping. And I don't like this feeling one bit.

Celmin Miscil appears on stage after the mayor had finished reading the Treaty. It's the same thing every year. Maybe the Reapings wouldn't be so bad if people didn't make such a big deal out of volunteering. "Alright, District Four, shall we get started?" The crowd let out a cheer in response. This is what makes the poorer districts hate us so much. We actually tend to have fun with the Games every year. I don't see the point in it all. Do the Games bring excitement into our usually-dull lives? Yes. But I think that after Seventy-Three years that we would have been able to control ourselves without the Hunger Games to get in our way.

"Okay!" Celmin walks over to the girls' bowl, "Let's start with the young ladies!" He reaches his colorful hand into the bowl and drags out a name, similar to that of a claw machine, "Venicitiy Corbinette!" He has the biggest, most fake smile I have ever seen plastered on a person's face. He doesn't care that we're being sent to our deaths. He just worries whether or not how big his next paycheck will be. I guarantee you that right now.

Venicitiy is a pretty girl. She's a year above me in school, and I've seen her around District Four. We've never really talked to each other, ever. Even though she's pretty physically, the way she acts is what makes her ugly. Venicitiy is an arrogant and spiteful girl, that nobody really likes because of that attitude. Maybe that's why no one has volunteered over her. …Or it could be the fact that she'll bite anyone's head off who tries to take her place. She lives, breathes, and sleeps Hunger Games- or at least, from what I've heard from the people who talk behind her back.

When she got up to the stage, she took the slip of paper from Celmin's hands and literally held it up in victory. …The nerve of that girl…

"That's what we like to see here in District Four, right?" He says happily. The audience lets out a fake cheer laced with annoyance at the newest female tribute. Oh, this year's going to be good… "Okay, then! Let's go onto the young men!" His voice echos throughout the square and then he quickly picks out the boy tribute's name. He obviously doesn't want to be here any longer than necessary.

"Will Breandan Angler please come on up?" Breandan… Angler? That-That's me.

I shakily make way from the sixteen-year old section of the crowd and walk up to the stage, unsure as to what I'm going to do- pass out or throw up. But, eventually, I do make it onstage and stand beside Celmin.

"Alright, now that we have our tributes-" I drown him out with my thoughts. Why didn't anyone volunteer for _me_? Nobody really cared for Venicitiy because of how violent she'd get with the person, but why not me? "-Now shake hands, tributes!" We faced each other and shook hands like we were told.

Well, if I'm going into the Games with Venicitiy Corbinette of all people, I might as well be the better tribute, "Good luck." I simply tell her. She just sticks up her nose and turns away. What a rude girl. With that attitude, nobody will want to ally with her.

**Phin Tallow**

I trip down our two short, yet steep, stairs as I tried to brush out my short hair, "Fuck…" I mumbled.

"Phin! Watch your language!" Mom scolded right before she went into the other room. I let out a grumbl-y sigh and picked myself up off of the ground. It's Reaping day once again- _only one more year_. I remind myself.

So clumsy… I'd never last long in the Games with my two left feet, I would be tripping over logs and whatnot. It would probably lead me straight to my death. A shudder runs through me- something that usually happens when I think about the horrid Games that the Capitol has created for us. I ignore the feeling and go back into my room to get dressed.

There, I pull out a purple sundress I've been wearing only for special occasions. I put it on and slide on a pair of shoes.

"I'm going mom! Bye dad!" I call out to them.

"We'll be leaving in five minutes, see you later Phinnie!" Dad shouts from the basement. He's working again…

I let out a puff of air and walk alone to the Reaping as usual. I don't really have any friends, I don't know if it's because I look slightly threatening or if it's because I'm too shy. But I need friends. I really don't have much of a social life…

"Welcome, welcome!" Aqua Mentolla chimes, "Shall we begin the lovely Reaping process?" Silence, "I take that as a yes! Let's pick out our first lovely young man!" She says 'lovely' too much…

Aqua walks over to the blue-tinted glass bowl and picks out a name with her sharp talon-like fingers. She then proceeds to walk back over to the microphone and read out the name, "Kellmer Mott!" There's a short silent period and then a cute little boy from the fifteen-year old section gets pushed into the middle aisle. There's an unsure look upon his pale face. I don't really recognize the boy, considering he's two years younger than I am. But I do remember the last name: Mott. Ah, yes. The family was a victim of a break in a few years back. The entire middle-class part of the district was talking about it. His brother was killed during the break in as well…

Kellmer finally makes it up on stage next to Aqua and he looks like he's about to be sick. …Poor thing.

"Alright! Now, let's pick our female tribute, shall we?" She once again reaches her hand into a bowl and picks another slip of paper out of the jumbled mess, "Phin Tallow!" There's another moment of silence. I didn't even notice it was my own name that was called until a girl next to me shoved my arm. I stumbled up to the stage and stood up straight, scanning the crowd, looking for my parents. I saw them- way in the back. Mom was sobbing and dad was trying to comfort her. I was their only child, it must feel as bad a feeling as being Reaped yourself.

Kellmer reached out his hand to me and I realized that we were to shake hands like every pair of tributes have ever done. He has fear in his eyes, and I try to give him a reassuring look. But I'm pretty sure I have the same expression on my face as he does.

**Cubix Nikson**

I stand there- stone silent, totally afraid as to what's going to become of me. I'm definitely not going to win these Games. I'm going to lose. Losing means certain death. I'll be the easy target, the Careers won't even bother with me. They'll kill me and push my limp body aside like leftovers.

"Time to pick out this year's girl tribute!" Casscaida Lillamette's voice is like a constant screech to us district-goers. I wonder if they all sound like that… The Capitol people, I mean. She barely dips her hand into the girls' bowl and pulls out a name, "Meth Andrews!" A boy started to scream at the top of his lungs as you heard another girl speak out.

"I volunteer!"

A girl of average height stood in-between the girl group and the boy group. She was an albino- white hair, red eyes, and pale skin as white as snow. She gave off an eerie aura, sending chills up my spine.

Casscaida's eyes widened a little, "Ooh! And what's your name, my pretty?" By judging the look upon her face, she's obviously in love with the girl's appearance, mesmerized even. Well, then again, she _is_ from the Capitol. Capitol-ites are all for weird appearances.

"My name is Morphine Andrews. I volunteered for my cousin." Does everyone in her family have strange medicinal-related names? Her cousin's name was Meth for crying out loud…

"Mhmm," Casscaida brings the two of us together, "And here are your tributes, District Six!" There's a round of applause, but it sounds grim. Like the gong of funeral bells resonating throughout the entire district.

**Author's note: Wow. I just realized how melancholic the end of this chapter really wasXD So... Depressing...  
**

**~Adrienne~  
**


	3. Cut down the tall trees

**Blahhhhhhhhh... So. Tired. Need sleep. Got home from Florida at one a.m. and the jet lag is just now catching up to meeeee=.=  
**

******************************Hikari Darkness: 0 pts. - EnnixiaMaeLin: 51 pts. - Weirdness-is-cool: 20 pts. - Iwasscreaming LONG LIVE: 40 pts. - Sallen: 30 pts. - CodyOnTheBounce T.V.: 41 pts. - jblonde123: 12 pts.- Munamana: 16 pts. - M30WHelloKellyM30W: 18 pts. - Desdemona312: 26 pts. - Rue's sis: 16 pts. - the silence will fall: 20 pts. - ChibiPanda315: 14 pts. - vivaciousvesper739: 12 pts. - shadowboy8456: 12 pts. - Sarah303: 4 pts.**

******************************Disclaimer: Back to the normal disclaimers now... I don't own THG.  
**

**Chapter Three- Cut down the tall trees**

**Gardenia Darold**

"I don't care, bitch!" I scream, "Get out of my face!" I try to break free of Olly's grip. I break loose and punch the girl square in the jaw.**  
**  
"Look what you've done!" Maree squeals. What a little priss… "My daddy's a Peacekeeper, y'know! Don't think I won't tell him what you stole!" I glare in her direction. Maree holds her jaw, right where I punched her. Serves her right- talking about my dead parents like that.

She and her fellow 'friends' scurry away, going to go get 'prissed' up for the Reaping, no doubt. I'm not a girly-girl. It doesn't take me an hour to get ready, I brush my hair, get dressed and brush my teeth. It's not that hard.

"You're gonna get whipped!" Olly exclaims, there's a freaked-out expression on his face. He's right, though. Not that I care. I've gotten whipped before.

Suddenly, an idea hatched in my brain.

They can't whip me if I'm going to the Games.

"Okay, Ollie. We have to go get ready for the Reaping!" I shout.

He has a quizzical look upon his childish face, "But, Gardenia, you never get ready until the last minute."

I smirk and nod, "I know. But I've got a plan."

He rolls his eyes, "Fine. But if it gets me in any trouble whatsoever, I'm not your friend anymore." He jokes.

It took me a half an hour to find a decent outfit and get ready, but when I was finished, I looked pretty damn good. I had on a semi-nice green tanktop and some black shorts. All-in-all, when I go to the Capitol, I think I'll look the nicest of the bunch- besides the Careers, anyway.

I meet Olly beside 'our tree' and we walk to the Square together. It's weird, though, because Olly could literally be my brother. We have the same hair, skin, and eye color. Which isn't all that uncommon, though, because many people in District 7 have tanned skin from being out in the sun all day cutting down the tall trees.

We get to the square and check in. It takes pretty much all of my strength not to bop the Peacekeeper when he tries to take blood from my finger. I hate it- it's unnecessary and ridiculous. But I get the prick done and over with and then walk over to my age group: sixteen. We all stand there, looking like sitting ducks- complete idiots. I spot Maree with a lovely bruise on her jaw, right where I punched her earlier. A smirk crosses my face- good.

Ray Lemafeer. Oi, he's annoying as hell. Then again, pretty much everyone from the Capitol is, am I right? "Hello, District Seven! How are you today?" He doesn't even wait for a single noise to escape from our mouths, "So, let's get on to picking our young lady!" Standard Reaping procedure follows, "Now, how about we welcome Miss Maree Scott!" Ugh, of all people I was going to volunteer over…

"I volunteer!" I shout over the buzzing crowd. They're probably surprised that Maree got picked- a Peacekeeper's children usually never go to the Games because of the situation their families are in. The look on Maree's face is priceless when I pass her up. It's a mixture between shock and disgust. "Don't think I'm volunteering to save your prissy-ass." I mumble to her as I walk past.

"Oh! Hello!" Ray announces over the loud-speaker, "…Your name?" He asks of me.

"Gardenia Darold. Get me the hell out of this district." I smirk for what felt like the umpteenth time today.

Ray murmurs something under his breath about 'the dirtier districts of Panem' or whatever. Psh, I could kick his ass straight to District 13 if I wanted to. …If it existed…

"Uhm… Okay then! Now, time for our boy tribute!" He picks out a boy's name and says it aloud, "Riley Wolf!" A dirty, scratched-up looking boy walks out from the fifteen-year olds section and skitters up on stage… almost like a dog- boisterous and too-friendly. …Ew…

"So! Here are your tributes, District Seven! Let's show them off with pride, shall we?" Ray's voice is literally blasting out my eardrums, "Shake hands, tributes!" I reach my hand out, unwillingly. But Riley does something that bugged the living lights out of me.

He hugged me.

"Aw hell no!" I say, and then proceed to back out of the hug awkwardly.

Oh boy, this is going to be interesting. Why couldn't I have just accepted my whippings like a normal person?

**Jaylan McCarty**

Renwick shoved me jokingly, "Boy, watch yourself." I had just accidentally knocked him into the tree beside us all. Paisley steps in. **  
**  
"Ren, stop it! Jaylan can't help it if he has two left feet!" She smiles and pecks me on the lips. She turns away to talk to Ren's girlfriend and I pull the 'immature' card and stick my tounge out at him.

"Whatever. Hey, where's Nero at, anyway?" Ren asked. I just shrugged in response.

"Heck if I know. …Then again, it is Nero we're talking about here. Maybe his parents finally took him to a mental doctor." I joked. He also shrugs. It's possible- that boy has some… issues.

Paisley grabbed my hand and started to lead me towards the direction of the square, "C'mon, Jaylan. The faster we get there, the faster the Reaping will be done and over with. I don't want to have to dwell in this any longer." She's right… sorta. The four of us, Ren, Paisley, Jena and I all walked to the square, not in silence of course.

When we got there, we checked ourselves in and went to our spots. Ren and I stood next to each other as usual. Jena and Paisley stood on the girl equivalent to our side.

The mayor stood up at the podium and began his speech, all the while, Ren and I were just whispering things back and forth about how ridiculous the escort looks this year. Dahril Everil has been District Eight's escort for a few years now, he's pretty relaxed, but his outfits are brighter than the other district's escorts. Ironic, right?

"Hello, District Eight. What a beautiful day for the Reaping, correct?" There's nothing but silence. "Alright! So, now that your dearest mayor has finished reading the Treaty, let's get to work and pick the young woman!" He walks- no, hops over to the girls' pink glass bowl and honestly, he's making a fool of himself. He looks like a rabbit.

"Aurora S'abelle!" He calls out happily. This is shortly replaced by another girl shouting, "I volunteer!" The voice's owner is a tall and mysterious-looking girl. When she walks up to the stage, she says her name is Kitsch Hirsch. Okay, being serious here, but she looks like she could be from the Capitol. Cat eyes, golden-blonde streaks in her hair that are obviously not natural, yet they flow easily with her somewhat-dark hair. …She's quite the character, I tell you.

"Mhmm, alright. Now, for our boy-" I just ignore the rest of Dahril's rant. It's not like I'll get picked.

"-So anyway, my dad was telling me about how-"

"Jaylan McCarty!"

I stand upright, as I obviously heard my name being called from somewhere, "Yeah?" Then I realized that my name was Reaped. Oh.

I begin to walk upward to the stage, where Kitsch and Dahril await me. Paisley's sobbing was in the background- oh how I wanted to go back there and hug her close…

We stand there silently while Dahril presents us to the entire district. In the corner of my eye, I see Kitsch watching me closely. It bothers me. A lot. I can just see the gears turning in her head as she plots my death. …But what if those aren't her motives?

**Blazene Freer**

I stare into the broken mirror sadly. Dad's lungs are acting up again… He'll be off to see mommy soon…

"What's the matter?" My older brother, Jake, asked from the doorway. I quickly sit up straight in my chair and quickly spin the chair around to face him.

"Daddy…" I sigh. There's a hint of depression in my voice. Jake walks over and takes me into a hug.

"It'll be alright, 'Zene. Just finish getting ready for the Reaping and just worry about not getting Reaped like a normal kid, 'kay?" He kisses my head and leaves my cramped room. I listen to what he told me and finish combing out my hair and put on an older dress that was once my mother's. It's a bit worn, but it's a pretty color- dusty pink.

When I walk into the front room/dining room/kitchen, Jake tells me calmly that I have to go to the Reaping alone this year, "What? Why?" My breathing picks up, "What's wrong with daddy?" He proceeds to start pushing me out the front door without an explanation, "Jake!"

"Go to the square, little 'Zene. Dad just needs… help getting ready for today." He's lying through his teeth, "Just go Blazene!" I looked down at the ground and walked down the dirt road to the square like Jake had instructed. Along the way, I kick little dirt clods. They explode into miniature dust clouds.

"Hey, there's Blazene!" I hear Tori shout. I automatically turn my head to that direction. Melissa, Naima, and Christopher stood there as well. They're my friends. Maybe they can cheer me up.

I walk over to them, they're all hanging out around the check-in area, "Hey guys." I say, sounding bored and uninterested.

"'S the matter?" Naima asks of me.

I just shrug, "Dad's sick. Again."

It became a slightly awkward silence after that. The five of us just sort of stood there until the Peacekeeper by the check-in desk told us to scram. We obeyed. If there was anything that scared us crapless, it was the Peacekeepers getting to us personally.

"Cheer up!" Naima says, "At least the Peacekeepers didn't chase after us this time…" She trails off, referring to last year when one of them started to literally chase us off into the crowd. I giggle, "There she is!" She says, patting me on the back, "It'll all be okay."

Suddenly, someone hugs me from behind. I look over my shoulder and see my best friend, Christopher. How he managed to sneak from standing in front of me to behind me is something I'll never know. But, before I could say anything, we were interrupted by the escort and we made our way to the thirteen-year old section.

There was a new escort this year… I think. It's hard to tell with all of these people's skin getting dyed a new color every year. But when the man introduces himself as Maryo Patiyi, I know that he's not new. This'll be his sixth year escorting for District Nine. The mayor goes ahead and reads the Treaty of Treason and then Maryo starts to begin with the Reaping process, as every year.

"So, let us begin by picking out our male tribute!" He sticks his hand into the bowl and then pulls out a slip of tiny, thin, white paper, "Joseph Strife!" The silence continued through until Joseph escaped from the crowd and made his way up to the stage, "Alright, now, let's pick our young woman!"

You know that serious feeling where you think you're going to die? Take that, and switch it to 'You know you're going to die'. That's how I felt as I heard my name being Reaped. I kept my head down, my hair draped over the sides of my face so no one could see me crying. When I got up to the front, I stood slightly hunched over. I was still crying.

"Here are your tributes, District Nine!" We shook hands, according to the usual code, and then we were escorted off of the stage into the Justice Building.

My life couldn't get any worse than this.

**Author's note: Welp... That's chapter three!**

**~Adrienne~  
**


	4. Death Sentence

**Soon, I'll just be uploading the chapters saved in Doc Manager, so if the A/N's seem familiar, it's because they're reused:L haaah, I'm so damn lazy... XD  
**

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**Chapter Four- Death sentence**

**Bulwark Fields**

I remember that day like it was yesterday. In which my lil' sister, Helen, told me that she was pregnant with Axel's kid. I threw 'im out the window. That taught 'im good. He had a broken collarbone, but we worked it out. …Sorta…

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't mad at lil' Helen. But boy did I take it out on Axel.

I walk over to Jesse's bed and shake her awake, havin' fun with it like I do every year, "Goat. Wake up." She just pulls the covers back over her head, "Goat!" Ignored again, "JESSE FIELDS! GET UP!" I never yell at my lil' siblings like that, but I do when it's necessary. It's funny as hell, that's fer sure.

Jesse got the nickname 'Goat' a while ago. She doesn't let anyone but me call her that. One time, a boy tried that out, and he went home with a broken arm and a bruised bone somewhere in his leg. It has a fancy name to it, I jus' dunno all that fancy-schmancy talk.

She jumped so high-up in her bed, that she rolled off of the side and landed straight on the ground, "…Uh… Mornin' Bull!" She says in a happy tune. I nudge her with my foot.

"Git up, it's Reaping day." She glares up at me, "What?"

"I could get up myself ya know!" Goat picks herself off of the ground and tries to push me out of her room.

I crack a smile, "It's not working." I point out.

She suddenly stops and puts her hands on her hips, "I _know_ that! Now go!"

"Fine! Fine!" I say, and walk back into the kitchen. The joys of wakin' up early. I actually got dressed and ate breakfast on time!

"Bull!" Helen says, "We gotta go! I wanna meet up with Axel 'fore the Reapin' starts!" I roll my eyes at her.

"Why?"

" 'Cause, Bull, it's Axel!" She smiles. The thought of that boy makes me mad as hell.

I cross my arms, "Fine. But only 'cause I love my lil' sister." Five minutes later, Goat and Mary still aren't down here yet, "Ey! Jesse! Mary! We're leavin'!" I shout down the hall.

The two run out of the room that they (including Helena as well) all shared, "Comin'!" Jesse plows on past me and out the door. What's got her panties twisted? It's only the Reaping. I shrug it off and we all make the walk to the square, while mom and dad take their sweet ol' time.

"Hello, hello!" There's a newer, fancier person on stage. She's different than the one from last year, "My, my, my! I'm excited to finally be here in District Ten!" No she ain't. She's lyin'.

The mayor talks a while, using big words that sorta hurt my brain, and then the lady, she said her name was Ehx- them Capitol people and their weird names- picks the girl's name from the big bowl, "Poppy Nevenson!" A tiny lil' thing comes from the crowd and was standing on stage, bawlin' her eyes out. Ehx didn't seem to notice, "Okay! Now, for the boys!" She reaches into another glass ball, "Axel Grinds!" I can hear Helena let out a squeaky cryin' sound, and I know what I hafta do.

"I volunteer!" I state loudly. I think Helena got even more worked up, 'cause her squeaky cryin' got louder. Well damn…

When I get onto the stage, Ehx looks up at me in fear, "Uh- er… What's y-your name?"

I smile at her and say, "Bulwark Fields. Jus' call me Bull!" She stops shakin' a lil' and shows us off to the people in front of us.

"Well, District Ten? How about a hand!" Ehx is one straaaange lady.

**Ivy Fields**

I hate how I look. Always have said that, and I always will. I look too much like my father. And my mother physically reminded me of that fact the day she made the line down my back that is now a scar today…

I've been told I'm really pretty, but I refuse to accept it. The only person I truly trust is Ragweed. He's basically the father-figure I've never really had. He has a thirteen-year old granddaughter named Poppy, we get along pretty well, I guess, but we really aren't friends. We talk here and there, though. But Ragweed has been there for me this entire time, he's taught me how to use a bow and even how to use knives for both hunting and survival. I remember the day where I had gotten caught for poaching in the woods… But since my father was a Peacekeeper, he basically saved my skin… and my life, I'm sure.

The thing is, today's Reaping day, and I have to get ready with a half an hour left. Plus, my hair is a tangled mess and it literally takes up half of my time to get it decent-looking.

But I stand up and manage to get ready, I get dressed in my usual Reaping attire- jeans, a v-neck shirt, leather boots, and my worn tight-fitting jacket. I had gotten these from my father before I stopped accepting his money. …Mom didn't though…

I hurry into the 'bathroom'. It's not really much of a bathroom, just a tiny room with a cracked toilet, a tub, and a small sink with a near-shattered mirror. It's not much, but it's all we can afford. I begin to brush out the tangled mess that is my hair, and, to my surprise, it didn't actually take as long as usual. Hm, maybe today will be in my favor.

Nope.

The odds weren't in my favor today at all, "I volunteer!" I shout out. Poppy is _not_ going into the Games. I'd stand a better chance than her. I walk past her and notice that her eyes are as big as saucers, she paled, and then tried to pull me back.

"Don't go, Ivy!" She whined. I pried her off of my arm and continued to walk forward.

'_I have to go.'_ I mentally tell her, _'I'm saving you.' _

I finally stand up on the stage next to Ahlivya Worthie, still as a statue. I can see mom, but she doesn't seem too upset. I also see my father, he was in charge of the Peacekeeper duties today, it seems, because he's standing guard on the boys' side of the crowd.

"-Sweetie, what's your name?" Ahlivya asks of me. I must've completely zoned out.

"Ivy Hazel Fields." I say, my voice sounded dull and distant. I guess it goes to show that I can keep an emotionless face without even trying, that's always good…

"Okay, now, onto the boy tribute! …Isaac Stones!" A creepy, yet tiny thirteen-year old comes on up, not looking the least bit scared. Not confident, just… bored? I can't describe the look on that boy's face…

"Shake hands, tributes!" We do, and then face the crowd, "Here they are, District Eleven!" A soft clapping sound emerges, and then disappears.

Goodbye, District Eleven.

**Rhine Stromer**

I stand there silently, wringing my hands nervously. I was shaking, sweating… heck, I thought I was going to pass out, I was even seeing stars.

"Come on up dear," I see Effie Trinket trying to get another victim onto the stage. It was a twelve-year old named Melodie, "There you go, sweetheart." You can tell that Effie just wanted to get out of here…

"Rhine Stromer and Melodie Dunne, tributes of District Twelve!" Effie cheers. Silence. No clapping. Nobody will miss us besides our families and friends. We're the unknown tributes, just like every year. I bet if you mention our names to the Capitol-ites next year, they won't remember us, ever.

**Author's note: Oh, District 12, how disappointing with tributes... Until next year, that is;D hehehe**

**~Adrienne~  
**


	5. Staying in

**Sorry if I'm raping your notifications and alerts, guys!XD Just had to do what I do, y'know?XD  
**

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******************************Disclaimer: I don't own THG.  
**

**Chapter Five- Staying in**

**Reena Joel-Capitol Resident**

I tug at my newly-dyed hair, "They're on!" I shout out to the family. The opening ceremonies… I love them almost more than I love the actual Games themselves. Yesterday, the tributes had arrived. This year, there's a good chance of a show. The boy from District 2 looked more menacing than his predecessor from last year.

"I'm coming!" My little brother pounces on the couch as if he were a cat…

"Welcome!" The usual segment starts like it has every single year. The announcers introduce themselves, and then the camera cuts away to District 1 arriving in their chariot- looking fabulous as always!

The District 1 chariot is beautifully adorned with colorful gemstones and pulled by the two pure-white horses. The girl tribute, Thalia, looks like an angel sent from above- literally. She's wearing a flowy white and gold gown with angel wings attached to her back. While Alabaster Rhoan, the dreamy male counterpart to Thalia, is dressed in a milky-white garment that I guess is supposed to be a male version of Thalia's dress. The pair looks stunning, their skin is sparkling underneath the many lights of the parade route. Thalia's blonde hair is elegantly curled to perfection- thanks to her stylists- and lovely mister Alabaster's white-blonde hair looks even paler than it did at the Reaping. He has his chin held high, giving himself a haughty manner. Thalia made her moment to shine worthwhile, blowing kisses to the crowd, racking up the sponsors like crazy- that's District 1 of course!

Next came the two District 2 brutes pulled along in a metallic-looking chariot (of course, pulled by pure-gray horses). They're nice-looking as well- but they're brutish. Melanie, the female tribute, has her blonde hair twisted into an interesting braid-like hairstyle. While Cameron, obviously the male tribute from Two, has a cruel scowl upon his face. I wonder if he's really, truly like that or if he's just playing this angle to gain sponsors… The two are dressed in silver warrior-esque outfits, Melanie has the female equivalent of Cameron's male gladiator costume. In her right hand, she holds a big, wide, bronze shield with a red number '2' carved into the front of it, making it look like it's been engraved with a tribute's blood. Creepy… Cameron holds a long and serrated sword, automatically sending chills through my body, giving my skin goosebumps.

The camera moved on to the District 3 chariot, it shone in the artifical lighting with it's golden-like color (it's obviously yellow, but I think the decorators went slightly overboard). The sandy-blonde horses trotted along the paved way, hitting a rare bump here and there. The little thirteen-year old tribute from the technological district, Corta, kept opening her mouth to say something every so often, but her voice was drowned out by the ever-shouting crowd and the blaring music. I giggled, she's strange… but adorable. She's wearing a somewhat-long silvery dress with a gray shawl over her tiny shoulders. On top of her shoulders were moving gears, just like the ones her district partner, Marco. On her dress, there are LED lights stuck here and there, giving her pale skin a glowy look to it. Her partner was wearing something similar to Corta's outfit, but instead of a dress, he wore a gray jacket with the gears and a pair of silvery pants along with a platinum shirt and black shoes. Honestly, the two of them could be easily mistaken for siblings. Same dark hair, even some similar facial features. But Marco has amber-colored eyes, and Corta has bright blue ones.

Oh, District Four. Home of wonderful beaches and seafood. Like the other two career districts, Venicitiy is confident looking. Unlike Breandan, who just seems to be enjoying the fact that he's not dying right now. But he's the one to be drooling over. Just like Cyrus from two years ago… I let out a sigh. It's too bad he had to die… He was good-looking. I snapped myself out of my reverie, but I can't help myself. The sixteen-year old, being dressed in a skin-tight half bodysuit, has amazing muscles. He's showing it off just right. The suit goes over his shoulders and down his arms in a sleek, black style. It then travels down his sides and continues down into basically a pair of pants, with a strange collar with a blue light, similar to the color of the sea. Venicitiy wears a long, green dress with one strap going over the shoulder. Synthetic water cascades it's way down the dress itself, along the tips of her fingers, trailing off behind the teal chariot. Her dark hair is piled atop her head in a sort of crown.

The tributes of District Five tell a different tale. You can easily tell that they're the DNA-manipulating district in their white chariot. Phin Tallow wears a one strapped red dress. The strap is in the design of a DNA double helix in multiple matching colors, the rest of the dress is a fabulous sparkly red and the entire bottom is tule. Her short hair is spiked into a cute style that I would consider if it didn't mean chopping off my precious locks… Kellmer's outfit matches Phin's quite well- a simple black pair of dress pants and a pale red dress shirt with a (you guessed it!) DNA 'helix' tie. The adorable little redheaded boy has his hair mussed a little, probably to make himself look his age, and not like an adult.

From Five to Six, the camera angle changed, showing the elegant Morphine Andrews with her- very- long white hair, which is expertly pulled away from her face. Her red eyes were exposed to all, showing off her albino appearance, which is really gorgeous. People are going to want their children to look like that… Genetically altered kids, right from the get-go! …Morphine wears a black chiffon-styled dress which is surrounded by mystical blue lights. This gives her hair an eerie glow to it, making Morphine creepily beautiful. Cubix Nikson just stands there awkwardly. The tall eighteen-year old boy really doesn't have many other redeeming qualities except for his pretty blue eyes. They're brought out by the lights on his tie- the same ones that surround Morphine. Like District Five's pair of kids, District Six's tributes match accordingly, with Cubix wearing a black suit along with the forementioned tie. They stand completely still with stoic expressons as they're pulled along in glossy black chariot.

District Seven's tributes are just simply a laughing stock. Gardenia Darold is a tree (not that having her fitting into a dress would do her good… not with _those_ arms). Her muscular upper-half really _does_ make her look like a plant of the forest, though. And her tan skin almost matches the tree's 'bark'. Riley, on the other hand, looks like an axe-wielding maniac in his lumberjack costume. It's utterly ridiculous how badly these two look. It's even worse at how many times these costumes have been used before. Riley and Gardenia don't stand a single chance at gaining sponsors for looks. They'd better hope that they've got enough skill to have _someone_ help their sorry asses.

I shake my head as the chariots switch. Jaylan and Kitsch are also wearing cliché outfits, but at least they look _good_. …I swear I've seen Kitsch before… Nah, I'm just imagining things… Both of them are completely decked out head-to-toe in mulitple fabrics of many colors and designs. Jaylan wears a tux of the previously-mentioned design. The only preposterous part of the outfit was his headpiece, which was a sewing machine… I roll my eyes at the strange sight before me. Is it hollowed out? If not, then I feel slightly sorry for him, he must be having terrible head pains… At least Kitsch's outfit doesn't have any derisive add-ons to it. It's just a simple, yet cute, short tunic-style dress with a basic purple top sewed together with a 'skirt' of many patterns and swatches of fabrics. Underneath, she wears shin-length leggings with similar appearance as the 'skirt'. Along with this, Kitsch is wearing plain black flats, similar to the ones at the Reaping she wore. Jaylan's looking pretty flamboyant in the already-bright chariot with that sewing machine… I'm never going to be able to get over that… Kitsch just has an arcane look on her face, like she's thinking deep, calming thoughts as if not to take a nosedive out of the chariot.

Onto District 9- factories and things of the similar manner. The serious-looking Joseph wears a metallic suit along with a shimmery black tie that sticks out from it's surroundings on his body. You can easily tell that Joseph is unamused… While tiny little Blazene, on the other hand, at least has an expression on her face. She seems… uncomfortable in the long, metal dress she wears upon her stick-thin body. That girl hasn't an ounce of fat on her, she's like a stick! Blazene tries to shift her weight to a miniscule amount, but it comes off as 'Get this thing off of me! It's the spawn of the devil!' …or something…

Bulwark Fields of District 10 is a big boy… literally. Apparently he's six foot-five, and weighs in at a hulking two-hundred and fourty-four pounds. I shuddered slightly at the appearance of boy from the farming district. He wears the (let out the dramatic sigh now) typical cowboy getup. Y'know, the boots, hat, flannel shirt. The usual. He holds a rope that is loosely tied around little Poppy's neck, who wears a cow-print catsuit… interesting. But of course, the outfit wasn't nearly complete without a cowbell… How adorable! Poppy's dark brown hair is pulled into two loose braids, which just adds to her childish appearance.

The tribute parade is almost complete when District 11 rolls on in on their green chariot. Ivy is wearing a pretty green dress that is almost coruscating with the gems encrusted onto the chest area. Her long, wavy brown hair is left half-up, with the other half swaying with each movement that the horses pulling her and her partner make. Like many of the other tributes, her pale face doesn't hold much emotion. She was like this at the Reaping too… Perhaps this is a strategy? Around her wrists and abdomen are bracelets and a belt made of grains and such just like the ones in District Eleven. …What I don't understand though, is how stylists can make something as pretty as Ivy's outfit, and then have something as comical as Isaac's 'fruit suit'. Oh, how the citizens of District 11 must be shaking their poor heads while we all have a laugh here in the Capitol. He's really quite absurd, though, that Isaac. A creeper at that, as well. His dark hair falls into his brown eyes. Isaac's darker tanned skin is the only thing that seems to give him 'warmth'.

We all let out a simultaneous groan as the District 12 tributes rear their faces in the matte coal-colored chariot of theirs. They're coal miners… Again? How many times has this been replayed before? The only year that I particularly remember liking their parade outfits was two years ago with Aria and Cooper. The black shiny things and such… If they would only redo something like that again, I wouldn't mind seeing those as repeats. Heck, set them on _fire_ for all I care! At least add excitement! Twelve-year old Melodie Dunne tries to cover up her exposed body that's scarce in clothing and abundant in black body paint. The same thing goes for Rhine Stromer of sixteen years. I feel a look of disgust cross my face as they roll away…

Thank God…

**Author's note: Gotta love the Capitol! That's all:L**

**~Adrienne~  
**


	6. On the first day of training

**************************Hahaha what am I saying, no way in hell am I reposting those A/N's, the newer (hopefully!) readers would be so confused!XD**

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******Disclaimer: I don't own THG :P  
**

**Chapter Six- On the first day of training…**

**Alabaster Rhoan**

All twenty-four of us stand in a half circle around the main trainer. She quickly explains to us on how each station works, and reminds us not to fight- to save it for the arena. I cross my arms, trying to threaten the other non-career tributes. I'm obviously not going to be able to scare my allies off. And why would I want to? They're my lifelines.

"Get to training." The trainer shouts aloud. We all scatter around the room, alliances are already being formed. There's us, and then there are the few others.

I look around at the other tributes, sizing them up. There really aren't that many threats… besides the giant one from District Ten. Cameron's going to want him out first. Then we can pick off the little ones. …His district partner though… Poppy…? She's pretty cute, and I'm not talking in the childish way. I'd work my charm, but I can just hear the groans of disgust now if I went to go flirt with her. I mean, she's only a year younger than me. No big deal, though, right?

"Let's start…" Cameron grumbles. We all just nod our heads in agreement and split up, although some of us do stick together. But I go off on my own. I go over to the spears and such- better get my hands on them before the grubby ones of District 12 does. I must keep my appearance at tip-top if I want sponsors, and sharing weapons with a… _Twelve_… is not going to help that.

I weigh the long spear before deciding that it's just right, and then begin to assume the throwing position. _'One…Two…Three!' _I mentally count before chucking the spear with all of my strength. It lands dead-center into the dummy. Perfect. All these years of training have paid off… In the corner of my eye, I see Breandan. That traitor… not wanting to team up with us… He's the first on _my_ kill list. That's a certain. I clutch onto my token, making sure not to lose it whatsoever. It would be a tragedy if I had lost something as fancy as _this_ in a room with other… people… I shudder. The lower districts shouldn't even have that honor of a title.

Another spear soon appears in my hand, and I use the opportunity to show off against the other tributes. I let out a forceful throw, landing the spear in another dummy. I never miss. If I do, it means I'm not focused. Of course I'm focused- I'm training! Nothing breaks me out of my zone when I'm training. Not gender, not age. Better throw one more spear before I move on… we only have so much time before day one is over anyway…

I grab a third and final spear before preparing myself. In the corner, something caught my eye. A small boy from District 11 was staring at me creepily. I must've stood there for a good minute before I realized that the kid's just probably trying to weird us all out… Whatever…

Another bulls-eye. Good. Time to move on… and away from the little creep.

**Venicitiy Corbinette**

I cross my pale arms as I survey the rest of the tributes in the room. Alabaster, one of my supposed 'allies' is chucking spears left and right, not missing his target once. I see a tall and 'menacing' Bulwark Fields poking around. Hah. The boy sure looks tough, but he's got the brain the size of a pea…

There's a table full of knives and daggers across from me, and I see Ivy from the District of 11 walking towards it. I make this my opportunity to be known who's boss around here.

"I believe these are mine." I say in a sickly-sweet, sarcastic voice towards her. The tone is full of spitefulness. Good.

She snatches a knife and holds the tip close to my face, "Look. I'm not looking to pick a fight. But I _will_ do something if you actually think that these knives are yours. We're all going into the arena in a few days anyway. Save it for there." And then proceeded to grab another knife and walk towards the targets. I let out a huff. Does she think she can get away with this? I don't _think _so! I grab two knives for myself and walk over to the other set of targets, keeping an eye on Ivy every so often.

I contemplate on whether or not I should give a little 'show', but then decide against it. I'll save that for the session with the Gamemakers…

"Ah!" I hear someone shout out. I'm pretty sure everyone's heads twisted in the direction of which the sound came from. In fact, it came from little Poppy Nevenson, a girl from District 10 who couldn't be more than five-foot-four standing on her tip-toes. A look is on her face like, 'Did I seriously just do that?' and we look to see that a throwing knife got stuck high in the wall. How she got it there is beyond me. But I should kick her ass for even trying to use knives without practice. They're for the skilled, and the skilled only!

Soon, the silence disperses and we all get back to our stations. I throw a few knives and move onto the other targets parallel to Poppy and Ivy's.

"…She always hits…" I hear a voice.

A gasp comes from someone else as I slice through the dummy, "…She's scary." Says another. I smirk. Good to know that the others know who's first place here.

**Kitsch Hirsch**

All the knives were taken by the time I had gotten around to that particular station. Well damn, I guess I''ll just have to wait until private sessions to do that…

I keep getting weird stares from everyone. …If it's about my appearance, I actually have a good reason for that… I just cover it all up with a lie though. My real story is too risky… Too many Capitol people will figure out who I am… I'm sure a few know me, they just haven't put the pieces together yet… Oh how I miss my beloved family. I wonder if they still live in the same house…?

I shake my head, clearing it of all distracting thoughts. Mhm… What stations are open? …Well… I can always try building fires, although I doubt I'll need it, since building fires in the Games aren't exactly bright. Hm- I don't need to try out poisonous plants… Why not camouflage?

When I make my way over there, I see the District 3 boy and albino girl from District 6 both standing at the station. As I begin to start working, the boy- what was his name? ...Marco? Ah, yes- tries to strike up a conversation with me.

"Did ya see the girls from Four and Eleven bashing heads…?" His question came out slightly awkward and shaky. I turn to face him and he backs away a little- I can only assume that he had seen my genetically-altered eyes. I don't say anything, just nod, and get back to work painting my arm to look like that of a flowerbed in bloom.

I keep adding more and more colors until there's sounds of fighting going on. Two girls' voices were raising higher and higher until it got into a full-blown shouting match. I roll my eyes and turn around to see what the matter is. Ivy and Venicitiy were at it once again, this time, they seemed to be quarreling over something else this time around…

"No! _You_ listen to _me_! Got it?" Venicitiy was literally bubbling over with anger. If this were an animated picture, steam would be blowing out of her ears right now.

Ivy let out a groan of disgust and crossed her arms, "Whatever, alright? Just let me through." She tried to push past her, but Venicitiy wouldn't budge one centimeter. After trying to get around her two more times, Ivy finally must've gotten fed up with her little 'act' and pushed her aside… which, in turn, only got Venicitiy even more ticked than before. She had dropped her daggers and lept toward Ivy. Soon, the trainers had jumped into the little scuffle and eventually pulled the two apart.

"…Wow…" Marco whispered beside me, "Guess we know who's gonna be responsible for either of their deaths, am I right?" I nod again, and peer over at the career group. Oh my. Little Blazene from District 9 seems to be tagging along with the monsters… Oh, that won't do her any good at all. _Tsk, tsk, tsk…_

After the trainers get all tributes settled down, we all get back to work, me on my 'flowers', and Marco on his 'gears'. My eyes dart over to Morphine, who seems to be using much of the red paint. She's even getting it in her hair… maybe if she tied it all back… Then, my sight travels down to her arm, which is also painted. But, instead of something normal, like a tree's bark, or flowers, she's painting patterns of blood stains up and down her forearm. Lovely.

Just. Lovely.

**Author's note: Oh. Lord. -.- This is what happens when you redo A/N's... they take so much time to edit!DX**

**~Adrienne~_  
_**


	7. Zeit für den Partituren

**_'It took forever, but I finally got it done. It would've been out Wednesday, but I spider decided to thwart my plans and skedaddle up my arm. I saved my shit, and then booked it out of the room, knocking the spider off in the process. But I know y'all don't care;) You just want a chapter:L Here's the sponsor points! I got a lot of people sending in the right answers to either question, but I'm only going to give the points to the first two people who got either one right via review! So Munamana and CodyOnTheBounce T.V. get +6. The point of this was so that two people could at least get more points:3 I also accidentally deleted some of you guys' answers to the questions in my inbox ^-^" ...uhh, so +4 pts. to everyone else (even if you didn't answer the questions/reviews!) Soooo* sorry about deleting them!D:'_  
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**^I had to save this note, it's so damn funny!XD  
**

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**Chapter Seven- Zeit für den Partituren**

**Reena Joel**

Is it bad that I'm excited to see these kids die? …Nah… But their scores _will_ reflect on whether or not who I want to win. …I usually go for the really handsome guys from the upper-class districts and the equally pretty girls from there as well.

"Hello, and good evening to the wonderful country of Panem!" Caesar Flickerman greets the audience with a dazzling smile, "I'm your host for tonight, along with Claudius Templesmith to review the tributes' training scores!" I relax in the soft, fluffy couch next to Celeste. My younger brother perches himself on the back of the couch, like the tiger he's genetically altered to look like.

"Ooh, I can't wait to see who I'll be rooting for this year!" Celeste says, bouncing in her seat. I laugh at her, I'm not particularly excited for the scores. They just show how pathetic most tributes are anyway…

"Now, District One. Thalia Storm… A _ten_." Caesar says, emphasizing the word 'ten'. He looks over at Claudius, "I wonder what she did…?"

Claudius shrugs, "Who knows? Tributes from upper districts sure know how to get better training scores. …And that's exactly how they usually survive! Sponsors line up when they see the tributes' training scores! The higher the scores are, and the better looking the tribute is, the more sponsors they'll receive!" He's right, of course.

Caesar nods, "Mhm, yes. Now, onto Mister Alabaster Rhoan. Like his district partner, Thalia, he also got a training score of ten. This just adds to luck, because this young man is quite good-looking, isn't he?"

"Indeed, Caesar. Yes, he'll have sponsors out the door waiting for him!" Yes, he will. With his handsome self, and his near-perfect training score, no _shit_ he'll have tons and tons of sponsors! If he doesn't then there's something wrong with my fellow Capitol residents.

The screen behind the two men switches images from Alabaster to Melanie Dusk. A nine shows up next to her name and picture, "Very nice." Claudius comments, "You know, Caesar, I bet we'll have ourselves quite a show with our bigger tributes, don't you agree?"

"Mhmm, of course. And with all of these high training scores so far, who's to say we won't? Am I right?" He and Claudius share a quick laugh, and then he looks at the screen, "Well, well, well… It seems as though Melanie's score is nothing compared to the two she followed. Now, what about Cameron Derell?" He leans back and taps the corner of the screen once. Melanie's dainty-looking face dissolves and is replaced with Cameron's rugged one.

Caesar faces back towards the camera and away from the hypersensitive glass screen, "So, Cameron Derell received an _e-le-ven_!" He exclaims, "_Very_ impressive. Although, with that huge frame of his, it's not hard to understand how he even got the score, I mean, _come on_!"

Claudius peers at the glass behind he and Caesar and pretends to jump out of fear, "Oh my! Why, yes, he _is_ terrifying I do suppose!" He guffaws. The image of Cameron behind the two is enough to send shivers down my spine. It seems like there's a permanent glower upon his face. See, that is _exactly_ why I hate the districts. Not only did they rebel against us and _lose_, but they're all so rowdy and strange. _Hmph._

"Alright then. Next is little Corta Lee from District Three!" Heh, the rhyming… "The tiny girl received a low score of _five_." Both men take deep, sharp intakes of breath in unison as if to emphasize the fact that she got quite a low score. Claudius puts a hand to his forehead.

"Oh my, I need a minute." He jokes. I wonder what Corta makes of all this joking. Probably not taking it too well, as it seems that, by looking at her image plastered on the TV, she's quite sensitive. But maybe that's just me. This doesn't really make me feel sorry for her though, she has to pay the price for her ancestors' actions is all. No harm done to us.

"Ah, yes. You'd think the District Three tributes would also have higher scores since many of them are so intelligent," Caesar adds, "…Guess not!" He taps the screen and it switches over to Marco Quarry, also from District Three.

Marco got a seven. I guess it's a pretty decent score, I mean, that's the usual for the average male District Three-er. The overachievers' scores sometimes range in the nines to elevens though, if they're clever enough though.

"So a seven from Mister Quarry, eh?" Caesar has a 'not bad' look on his face. About three minutes go by as the two men banter back and forth with each other making witty comments about Marco's score and whatnot, just like the other tributes' scores.

The next face to appear was pretty little Venicitiy from District Four, "…And Venicitiy Corbinette from District Four received a score of… Nine! Very well done. Again, compared to her other tributes, however, a nine isn't enough. However, she still has the chance of sponsors…" Claudius points out. He's obviously talking about her appearance. She's pretty, I _guess_. But she's not like the District 1 tributes.

"For sure, Claudius, for sure. We'll just have to see how she fares tomorrow during our tribute interviews!" And que the famous 'Caesar smile'. "Okay, next, onto the young man that is Breandan Angler!" The image switches to Breandan's face, name, and score. He received an eight. That's still good, right?"

He nods, "Ah, yes Caesar. Considering all scores are out of twelve points total, that's not bad at all!" The two gentlemen share more laughs as if that's the only thing they can do. Breandan has a possible vote from me, along with Alabaster, Melanie, and Cameron. Possibly Venicitiy as well. If he can impress me enough with his interview tomorrow, maybe… just maybe.

"Now, onto District Five!" Caesar announces. Phin Tallow's face appears, and a five flashes in next to her name. Another 'disappointed' sigh comes from Caesar and Claudius on the television, along with Celeste and I in the living space. Some of these scores are beginning to have my second-thoughts on betting on any lower districts at all this year.

"I'd like to know how some get scores this low!" Claudius says in mock-horror. Well, the possibilities are endless, really. She could have miserably failed at trying to use a weapon. Or camouflage. Or- Actually, let's just stop there, 'cause this is making me detest the districts even more than I already do. And that's not really saying much considering I _strongly_ hate them, and I don't think I can hate much more… Moving on!

He shakes his head, "Anyway…" Caesar begins, "Let's go on to her district partner, shall we? Ahem… Kellmer Mott of District Five." His face pops up, as does a score of four. Four… Four…? I'm going to save Caesar and Claudius' comments on his very… _very_ low score and simply say that no one on this Earth should have to endure teasing from two grown (or _somewhat_ grown, in short little Claudius' case) men on national television. Not even a district-dweller. Just… no.

"District Six! Morphine Andrews!" Once her name had been announced, a picture of Morphine had shown itself. She was given an okay score of six, which I guess isn't all _too_ bad. But it's not enough to please the two on TV, as they think that only scores of seven and higher are capable of receiving praise. When, in reality, a six is halfway through the scoring spectrum…

Caesar finishes his laugh from an earlier joke, and presses the button, "Cubix Nikson, also from District Six. He has a score of… three…?"

"Oh my." Claudius comments, "Is… Is this real?" He tries not to laugh, but his façade isn't exactly all that great… I don't get it, normally Caesar tries his best to make tributes shine, even when they're not in their interviews. Which means to on-screen teasing. What gives this year?

Although this _does _give me a good comedy-fix…

The program didn't stay on the District Six tributes for very long, as they switched over to the District Seven girl, Gardenia Darold, "…With a seven. Not bad, not bad at all!" Claudius says. See what I said earlier? This is _exactly _what I meant. I really cannot stand looking at Gardenia's… horrid… uhm… er… _lovely_… face any longer… Please press the magic button, Caesar.

It was like he answered my plea.

"Riley Wolf. Ah, he was the little 'darling' that hugged his partner Gardenia, wasn't he?" Caesar asked. More laughs. Okay, it wasn't _that_ funny of a comment, geeze. There was a clip from the District Seven Reaping that was replayed as Riley, sure enough, hugged Gardenia. She did an awkward backout away from him just as he snaked his arms around her shoulders. That earned a few laughs from little Tisyn behind Celeste and I. Obviously _he_ found it amusing. And it really was, just not Caesar's little 'joke'.

Riley's face dissolved on screen and was replaced with Kitsch Hirsch's haunting cat-eyed stare, "I'm telling you, Celeste, I think I know her!" I suddenly remind her.

"Whatever, Ree, you're just getting overly-excited for the Games… Now quit being distracting, I wanna know what score she gets before-"

"…Eleven! Holy cow!" All three of us gape at the television in disbelief. How…? What…? Gah! I haven't seen a score of eleven from a District Eight-er since Garrie Myen, sixteen years ago. I was just two months old… Awh… My first Games! …And I don't even remember them… _Sigh…_

Tisyn jumps off of the back of the couch and runs to mom, "Mommy! Another eleven!' He shouts. …He's only seven, he doesn't get around much with scores…

"_Well_, I swear my heart just stopped for a fraction of a second!" Caesar says. Psh, he's not kidding! I jumped out of my seat!

Claudius nods, "Tell me about it! Do we have medical staff on-call?" He jokes. Boy, wouldn't that make the show? Ahaha… Oh geeze, I'm horrible.

"Okay… let's relax for a while now, and get on with the other scores, shall we?" Caesar asks, "Onto Jaylan McCarty. He was rewarded with a six. Meh…" He shakes it off like Kitsch's score never even happened, as did Claudius.

"What is there to say? I mean, the boy's somewhat decent, with a slightly low training score. …Let's just move on." Wow… That was short-lived.

"District Nine and Blazene Freer, eh? She got a…" Tisyn jumps back on the couch just as Blazene's fragile looking face made the screen and her score showed up, "Seven. I guess that isn't that bad for a District Nine tribute, correct?"

Correct. Now move on, I'm hungry.

After they both talked about her score some more, they showed Joseph's score of a five, like the other tributes who were given fives, they teased, but the later it got, you could tell that they were just extremely tired and started to lay-low on the teasing.

Oh Poppy Nevenson. The little sweetheart from District Ten. Even though she lives in a lower, poorer district, she'll have the Capitol wrapped around her finger from her adorableness. …That's kind of awkward coming from me saying that she's just a year younger than I am…

Anyway, Poppy received an eight, not too horrible, but not amazing either. And, whether it was me or not, either Caesar and Claudius were running low on their coffee supply up on stage or not, they looked like they were gonna hit the wall soon. …Only five more tributes my friends, only five more…

"Poppy's score isn't as terrifying as we had-" Claudius lets out a small yawn, "Thought, huh, Caesar?" Caesar just nods in agreement and touches the button once more.

Bulwark (also known as Bull) Fields appears, he received a pretty high score of nine. Not many comments were made, and if there were any, they were positive. Bull is a possible 'Reena's-list' candidate... Y'know, with that nine, his strong build and such. Yup, he's on my list.

District Ten came and went as Ivy Fields' training score of nine popped onto the screen, "Very… Nice…" Caesar says, his eyes were drooping. I looked at the wall clock. It read eleven. I guess I can't blame him, these started almost two hours ago, and this year, there were no commercials… Niether of the two were teenaged girls (or a seven-year old boy in Tisyn's case) hyped up on sugary drinks, so…

"District Eleven might have a fighter this year, that's for sure." Claudius comments, trying to appear awake. Caesar's failing at trying Claudius' task. He taps the button without much effort at all.

"Isaac Stones with a four. No surprise there." I point out to my companions in the room, "That little creep…" Celeste and I both laugh and notice that Tisyn isn't laughing. I turn around and see him sleeping on the arm of the couch, curled up into a ball. Nice.

When I turn back around to the TV, the faces have been swapped, and Melodie Dunne is on-screen, "She has a six." Celeste says. I smack her arm playfully, "Hey! I didn't smack you when you pointed out the obvi! Shut up!"

"And last-" Claudius lets out another yawn, "-But not least, we have Rhine Stromer with a… Two…? Oh- Oh my sweet gosh." Both men on TV laugh a little, obviously woken up by the very _very_ low score of the male District Twelve tribute. Celeste and I giggle. It's so bad that I don't even feel sorry for him after Caesar and Claudius make fun of him. Maybe it's the tiredness coming after me.

"Alright! So, let's review! From District One! Thalia and Alabaster both got a score of Ten! Almost perfect!" Caesar fakes energy, you can see that he's still tired, "And from Two, Melanie received a nine, and Cameron was rewarded with an eleven!" The live audience lets out 'oohs' and 'aahs'.

Claudius takes over, also still tired. "Corta from District Three had been given a five, and her district partner, Marco, had a seven! While hailing form District Four, Venicitiy got a nine and Breandan, an eight."

Back to Caesar, "Phin from District Five _got_ a five, and Kellmer was given a score of four. While from District Six, Morphine received a six. Cubix got a low score of three…" An audience member shouted out "Sucks to suck!", causing the entire studio to erupt with laughter, along with the entire Capitol, and some of the Districts, I'm sure.

"-Ehem, _anyway_, the next pair of tributes were Gardenia and Riley. Gardenia has a seven, and Riley has a three." Claudius hurries on before anyone in the audience can interrupt them like before, "District Eight should be proud this year! Kitsch was given an eleven! While, Jaylan was given a six."

"Blazene was given a seven, while the District Nine tribute's male counterpart, Joseph received a score of five." Caesar repeated from the earlier statement, "Next is the adorable Poppy Nevenson of Ten! She was given an eight, while the tall and rugged Bulwark was given a nine. Both tributes received a fairly high score tonight!"

Claudius nodded, "Indeed, Caesar! Now onto District Eleven! Ivy has a nine, very nice job! Isaac, on the other hand, was given a four. _Finally,_ the District Twelve female, little Melodie Dunne, received a six, and her partner, Rhine received a _very_ small score of two." He lets out a sigh of relief, knowing that the score-revealing is over for this year.

"Alright, folks! That's it for this year's scores! See you tomorrow for the tribute interviews!" Caesar signs off, and the outro for the presentation starts. I shut off the television. So glad it's Friday. Then again… school is usually out for the Games anyway so…

"Wanna pull an all-nighter?" I ask Celeste. She nods, "Alright, let's find something to do…"

**Author's note: _'Alright, so, if reading that didn't melt your brain then I dunno what will:L 'Twas 2,678 words!:O The. Longest. Chapter. Evar! Woot! Hahaha Sooo... who wants sponsor questions?'_  
**

**^This one too! XD**

**~Adrienne~  
**


	8. Show, Have, or Give a look

**Mother. Of. God. My brain half-melted when I re-read this chapter e.o I am _so_ sorry for making you read this abominably-long chapter. ...Hey... Just like the abominable snowman! The Yeti! I saw the Yeti on expedition everest!XD Hahaha  
**

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**************Disclaimer: I don't own THG.  
**

**Chapter Eight- Show, Have, or Give a look**

**Reena Joel**

Daddy's new job requires that he and his family must attend the annual Tribute Interviews this year. So that leaves me to getting ready for tonight's glamor event of the year. I pull the short, poofy, white, glittering dress I had bought earlier. It was quite cute, I'm definitely not complaining. The dress is strapless, and it fits quite tight in the bodice. It goes a few inches above the knees, and in the middle, there is a gold, glittering design twisting over my abdomen like an elegant golden serpent. I wear golden heels on my feet, that sparkle when the light hits the individual tiny sequins. My wavy off-white and sunset-orange dyed hair goes quite well with the dress.

Time passes as Tisyn and I wait for mother to finish getting ready. As my little brother stands next to me, in his white suit, matching me, he bounces on the balls of his feet, "Mooooom can we g-" Before he could finish his sentence, mom appeared from around the corner, hair pinned and ready to go.

"Shall we leave?" She asks, smiling. We leave the house and get into dad's work hovercraft. Normally we'd drive in our luxurious vehicle, but dad's job had already told us that driving wouldn't be necessary.

* * *

When we arrived at the auditorium, which was quite large, might I add, We were immediately ushered to a balcony of four seats, each reserved with a nameplate with our own names on them. Mine was farthest to the right, closest to the stage, next to Tisyn's seat. I sit down and watch my fellow audience members pile into the room, taking their seats. I account the multitude of different hair styles, colors, and clothing articles to pass the time. A pale pink beehive here, long white hair there. I must've been counting people for at least fifteen minutes before the side doors opened and revealed the tributes. Girls on the left side, and boys on the right. They were orderly lined up and walked to the first two rows,which were also reserved. I squealed inwardly, trying to act like the civilized young woman that I am.

The stage lights began to turn on, waving around the stage itself, streaking color here and there to introduce Caesar Flickerman for the night.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome your host for tonight: Caesar Flickerman!" The man on the overhead intercom had presented him as the man himself walked upon the stage. There was a loud applause.

"Hello, hello nation of Panem! Thank you, now, who's ready for some tributes?" The already-loud applause got even louder. I sit up straight and add to the noise, clapping. "Okay, so, to start us off, we're going to have the lovely Thalia storm come up on stage first!" He announced. I see Thalia stand up from her front-row seat and wave to the crowd behind her, using her charm to her advantage. She wears a strapless gown in the color of a fantastic cerulean blue. It shimmers with every move that she makes. When she arrives on stage, I notice that her skin sparkles like her dress, except downgraded a bit so she doesn't look like a fairy of some sort.

"Well look at you, Miss Storm! Gorgeous, and can I say your stylist and prep team did an _amazing_ job!" I thank whoever's up there that I was put in the seat closest to the stage. I could see both Caesar and Thalia's faces perfectly.

Thalia blushes, "Oh, thank you Caesar. Yes, I'd also like to thank them for making me look so pretty!" She giggles. For the first time in an extremely long while, I'm jealous again. Just like I was with Peridot last year. I want a prep team and stylist to make me look pretty!

"So, let's get down to business. You're just so pretty! There's no way you _can't_ be skilled as well! Do you have a strategy for the arena?" He asks of her. She props her elbow on her knee, and sets her chin in the palm of her hand gently, mimicking the action that she's deep in thought.

"Hm, _well_, if you must know, I _do_ have a plan, actually. But I'm not sure if I should share…" She says, toying with the audience. Her whole interview goes on like this, playing the 'nice girl' card, acting like the whole nation of Panem lies in the palm of her hand. Three minutes later, the bell goes off, signifying that she's, in fact, finished.

As Thalia disappears into the darkened seats, Alabaster is called up. He also waves to the crowd, breaking the hearts of pretty much every girl in the country, including mine. He donned a black suit, the sleeves rolled up mid-forearm to reveal a white shirt underneath, which was also rolled in with the black jacket. He wears black dress pants and an off-black and white patterned dress-undershirt _underneath_ the white one. Geeze, that boy must be _roasting_ under all of those layers!

Caesar and Alabaster shake hands, then take a seat, "O-kay, so, I see that you're sporting what _must_ be your token. Am I right?"

He nods, "Yes, you are correct, Caesar. It's actually my family's crest." He then proceeds to hold it away from his chest just enough so that he could show him. The camera takes the chance to zoom in and show the crest on the large screen behind the two. It was a necklace, obviously. Attached to the chain was a raven, wings spread, and it's talons were gripping onto a ruby. Whether it was a fake or not, I wouldn't be able to tell from here.

Caesar and Alabaster go back and forth. Caesar asks the questions, and Alabaster replies to them in a witty response. The District One tributes know how to work it, that's for sure. Alabaster was _definitely_ on my list.

"Thank you, Alabaster!" Caesar thanks him before he leaves.

Alabaster reveals a dazzling white smile, "You're quite welcome." And proceeds to leave the stage.

"Next, we have Melanie Dusk from District Two!" Melanie stands from her seat in-between Alabaster and Cameron. The tall girl blows kisses to the crowd in her long, silvery gown. Like Thalia's, Melanie's dress is shiny, but in a more metallic way. She struts up to the stage, and flips her hair over her shoulder, in an attempt to win over the guys' hearts. I can guarantee that it's, indeed, working.

"Hello, Melanie. Please, please, take a seat." She gives Caesar a curt nod and sits in the chair next to his. She sits up straight, but in a more relaxed form than mentioned, "So, what is your life back at home like?" He asks.

"_Well_," She starts, "My life back in Two is quite fabulous if you ask me. I mean, with parents like mine who bow down to my every need, and friends who are always there for you, what's _not_ to like about my home life?" Melanie brags.

…And she's like this the whole way through. My daddy gives me this, my friends and I do that, _all_ the guys bow at my feet. Melanie Dusk from District 2 is a total princess. Maybe she'll give a good show…

The bell signalls, "Oh, I'm afraid we're out of time. Good luck, Melanie Dusk!" The crowd applauses for her as she disappears.

"Now, let's welcome up, Cameron Derell, male tribute of District Two!" He shouts to the audience. Cameron stands up, showing off his crimson-colored suit. It accents Melanie's dress quite well. When he stands on stage, Cameron towers over Caesar, making him look even more threatening.

The two take their seats and the clapping dies down, "Alright, so Cameron, what's your family like?" At first, there's silence. But then, Cameron picks his head up and shoots a death glare at Caesar, who scoots back in his seat a bit.

"My mother's dead, and my dad's abusive. I have no siblings. No friends. What else do you want from me?" Chills race their way down my spine. To think I'm sitting in the same room as someone who could be a coldhearted killer in a matter of days…

"…Oh… I'm so sorry, I-" Cameron cut him off, and Caesar just continued to ask questions. Whenever one was brought up, Cameron didn't say much, usually it was just a simple 'yes' or a 'no'.

_Brrrrrinnng! _I can almost see the relief come across Caesar's face as the bell goes off, "Well, there you have it, Panem. District Two- Cameron Derell!" Applause, and then he's gone back to his seat.

"Now it's time for District Three! Corta Lee, it's your turn!" The very tiny thirteen-year old stands up shakily, biting her lower lip and balling her hands into fists. Corta wears a floor-length dress, pure white, and shimmers in every single color of the spectrum. The flowy dress barely clings onto her. She shouts some things aloud, but she's drowned out by the orchestra playing in the pit below the stage and the crowd's clapping. When she sat down, it seemed like she was going to passed out.

"Nice to meet you, Corta." Caesar politely welcomes her. She smiles at this action, "Okay. So, we're at the interviews, you know this was bound to happen. When we watched the recaps of the Reapings, we noticed something with your own. Would you mind telling us?"

She fiddled with her thumbs a little before answering, "Well… When I was younger, about four, I kept shouting the names of random produce items, such as 'apples' or 'pears', y'know, things like that. So, it came to be that I was born with Tourette's Syndrome." Corta's voice was very light and airy, whispery like a ghost's, "My tics gave me negative attention, so I just don't talk anymore…" She paused, "If you'll excuse me, I feel one of my tics coming on…"

It became dead-silent in the theater, that is, until Corta yelled out all different kinds of fruits and vegetables like grapes, celery, and cucumbers. She didn't take up _too_ much time. Although, since the interview was already two minutes in, we didn't really get to know all that much about Corta, except that both of her parents had died in a freak accident, and she had lived with her two older sisters, Dava and Emelia. But besides that, Corta still stays a mystery to us all… Her alarm goes off, and she proceeds to leave the stage.

"Ahem… Now, Marco Quarry!" I search the front row for Marco. Ah, there he his. He stands up, revealing that he wears a strange outfit tonight. It's a silver outfit that resembles one of a mechanic. On top of his head, Marco wears a hard hat that's adorned with various gears and things of the sort. It was quite creative, I'll give that to the stylist.

"Ah, hello Caesar." Marco says, shaking his hand and then sitting down.

Caesar doesn't skip a single beat once the crowd dies down, "Well, I _must_ say that what you're wearing is very 'out there' and creative. Hm?"

Marco nods, "Indeed. I, myself, like it quite a lot, actually, considering there are gears attached and I love tinkering with them." He states. He's very intriguing…

"Very nice," Caesar replies. He continues on, and so does Marco. He's quite the charmer, however, not like Alabaster, he comes off quite knowlegable. He'll do well in the Games, I just know it.

"Alright, so it seems as though your time is up. Good luck, Marco!" He walks off of the stage, "Now, it's time for Venicitiy Corbinette of District Four!" Yes. Another career. I guess I haven't referred any of the tributes from 1, 2, or 4 as Career Tributes yet, have I?

Venicitiy stands up and almost frolics to the stage, wearing a strapless, short pale pink dress. It's tight around the top and flares out a bit at the bottom, revealing ther long legs and silver heels she wears. Fabric flowers cascade their way down the dress, slightly intertwining with her braided hair, that sports a diamond-encrusted tiara. Her outfit reminds me of something a sea-princess would wear. When she finally sits, Venicitiy is immediately rewarded, "Well, Miss Corbinette, you look absolutely _flawless_ tonight!"

"Oh, Caesar," She gushes, "Thank you, but, please, just call me Citiy." She flashes a near-perfect smile.

He nods, "Oh, yes. So, what makes you think you can win these games, Citiy?"

"Hm, let's see. I'm talented, I'm pretty, and I am going to do anything and everything in my power to get to the top." She responds. Her voice is full of arrogance and flirtatiousness.

"Hm, yes, I see. do you think people will like you?"

Citiy scoffs, "What's _not_ to like? I'm beyond pretty, I'm fun to watch, and, most of all, I'm deadly. Watch out guys– 'Pretty Little Citiy's' coming to get you!" She finishes the last part of her sentence in a sickly-sweet, mocking tone- _obviously_ directed toward the other tributes. Right after, the bell sounds, and she (unwillingly) removes herself from the spotlight.

After Citiy was Breandan Angler, from the same district. When his name was called up, the spotlight shone on him and followd him all the way to the stage. He wears an all-blue (a shade that's as deep as the ocean's color) suit, which compliments his skin tone very well.

"Nice to meet you, Breandan." Caesar greets, they shake hands and begin, "Okay, now, you've been in the Capitol for a few days. What do you like the most?"

He laughs lightly, scratching the back of his neck, "Well, Caesar, there are _a lot_ of things I like. I mean, the sights here aren't like the ones back at home, that's for sure. It's not every day you get to look out your window back in Four and see the tall, bright buildings!"

"Ah, yes. The sights here in the Capitol are quite beauteous, none like any other in Panem." He agreed.

"Oh, my Prep team as well. They're very fun to be around too." He said.

Caesar laughed, "Oh yes, we citizens here in the Capitol are quite the conversationalists!"

The rest of his interview was the same as any other tribute's had been. We learned about his home life and whatnot and that he was blind in one eye.

"It was very nice talking with you, Mister Angler! Next, we have Phin Tallow from District Five!" Not much longer after, Phin shows herself wearing a striking one-shouldered maroon dress. The thick shoulder strap had some glitz on it, giving Phin a girlish appearance. Her very short hair was straightened into a short-cut bob. It was pretty cute, I guess.

"Now, Phin, what you wore during the Tribute Parade was simply gorgeous. What did _you_ think about it?" Caesar asks of her.

"Well," She began, "I thought it was very pretty. Although I'm not usually a 'dress girl', I don't mind wearing the ones I've been put in! They make me feel so pretty!" She smiles brightly. There's still a hint of nervousness on her face, although you can barely see it.

But her façade breaks midway through her interview. She becomes flustered and begins to stutter quite a lot, making a fool of herself. But Caesar gently guides her through.

Honestly, Phin seems like the kind of girl that would be a bitch, but she's really not. She's _actually_ really sweet.. for a _district-goer._

"And time if up, lovely meeting you, Miss Tallow, and good luck to you!" The crowd claps for her as she slowly returns to her seat, "Now, welcome Kellmer Mott to the stage!" The redheaded fifteen-year old stands and appears on-stage wearing a dark purple dress shirt and black slacks. Along with the other clothes, he wears a black tie.

"Hello, hello, Kellmer. How are you? Are you excited for the Games tomorrow?" Caesar starts asking questions right out of the gate.

"Okay, and, well… I wouldn't say I'm _ecstatic _or anything, but… y'know." He replied simply, "But I've been talking with a few other tributes during the training days and I think I've made a few friends."

Caesar nods in approval, "Very nice. So, you've made friends from other districts… Are there any friends back home?"

Kellmer's eyes brighten a bit in happiness, "Oh, yes! I have quite a few, actually. But my _best_ friend is Delia Zick, we've been friends for years."

Kellmer rambles on about the topics brought up to him, and his personality shines right through. He's an all-around good kid.

His time was soon up, however.

"Okay, now it's time for the beautiful Morphine Andrews!" He's not lying, Morphine's albino appearance is very gorgeous. I scan the crowd for her white hair. Ah, there she is. She sports a Japanese-styled dress, and it was quite creative, along with the mini umbrella around her waist. It was an elegant look, which I'm sure is what her stylist was going for.

Caesar takes Morphine's paper-white hand in his own, "_Very _nice to meet you, Miss Andrews." She just gives him a curt nod and takes her seat. Once Caesar begins the interview, it is quite clear that Morphine is very intelligent. Although she seems strange, Morphine is actually very polite. When she answers her questions, she sits straight and answers it quickly and quietly as she can. Her skinny fingers interlock themselves together, and she lays her entangled hands on top of her knee, which sits crossed over her right leg.

"What was your childhood like? Do you care to share?" He inquires. I can vaguely see the muscles in her right cheek twitch at the question, but Morphine still answers it cooly.

"Since I was so oddly-colored, the labs wanted to test me," Her light and airy voice lifts, "So I spent innumerable days as a child in the labs. I was prodded and poked for DNA samplings, and multitudes of tubes of blood were drawn…" I flinch inwardly as she describes the treatments she received. Ew, ew, and ew!

Caesar nodds understandibly, "I see, I see…"

As soon as he said that, the bell went off and Morphine was finished.

Next was Cubix.

He wore a simple black suit with a white dress shirt underneath, and an electric-blue sparkling tie was around his neck, shining brilliantly.

Cubix's interview was nothing special, really. He only talked twice- once when he was asked about his family, and the other time was when Caesar asked him about his love for technology. He's quite weird… Both of the District 6 tributes are…

"…And now, onto District Seven! Up next is Gardenia Darold!" His voice booms through the loudspeakers.

Wearing an elegant dark green tank top and a white skirt, Gardenia didn't look the least bit happy. …And she didn't look all that feminine either… Oi…

"Hello Gardenia. Please, take a seat." She scowls and does as asked. She sits there, almost pouting- arms crossed, an unhappy look upon her face… She is _not_ a happy camper. "What is it like… living in District Seven? Any notable landforms there?"

Gardenia's brown eyes narrowed, "Nothing special," She spat out, "The only difference is that there are a huge amount of trees." Her voice _oozed_ venom.

Caesar had a miniscule amount of disgust come over his facial features. You wouldn't be able to tell it was there from any farther back.

Whenever Gardenia was asked a question of home, she got a very nasty attitude about it. …What a little brat…

"Now that Gardenia's done, let's welcome Riley Wolf!"

An uncomfortable-looking Riley stands out of his seat, wearing a torn-up suit and a disheveled tie. When he sat next to Caesar, it was like he had ants in his Goddamn pants- he wouldn't sit still!

"So, about your family…" He suggests.

Riley perked up almost instantly when asked about relatives of his, "I-I live with these wolves. My mom's name is Misty, and my dad's name is West. I have siblings too! Camber, Anya, and Gin are my brothers and sister!"

Caesar laughs, as do we, "That's a very funny joke, Riley. But seriously, who are your family members?"

"Well…" Riley looked deep in thought, "I _think_ we used to have real parents… But- Hm… I'm not really sure."

"Oh, that's quite unfortunate. Well, I wish you the best." The crowd applauds for Riley as he skitters off of the stage and out of the spotlight.

After Riley was Kitsch. She was wearing a strange 'Capitolian-princess' style dress. The bottom was a silky, lavender material, and was separated from the top, darker part by a golden band around the abdomen. Upon her head was a gold crown with an emerald, just like the one on the band. The back was open, in a diamond shape, revealing her pale skin.

"Hello, Kitsch, and how are you this stellar evening?" Her red lips form into a smile.

"Excellent Caesar, thank you."

"Now, there's one thing I want to ask before we start. Have we met before? There's a few people on the team who _swear_ they recognize you." He states. So I'm _not_ the only one who thinks that! I _knew_ it!

She laughs. It's a chiming sound, an eerie one at that, "Oh, I just have one of those faces. Easily recognizable, but most often mistaken for someone else." She replies. Kitsch's voice is somewhat calming, but in a haunting way.

"Ah, yes. I know what you mean. I tend to do that quite often!" He laughs, causing the rest of us to join in.

Throughout her entire interview, Kitsch shows her intelligence, just how Morphine did- except that her intelligence is one of a different kind. Unlike Morphine's, Kitsch's intellectuality is more down-to-Earth normal. Morphine's was through the moon and back weird.

"Let's hear it for Kitsch Hirsch of District Eight!" The crowd, including me, don't give much of a rewarding cheer. Kitsch does an elegant bow, and leaves center-stage. "And now, Jaylan McCarty!"

When Jaylan turns up, I note that she tie he's wearing now is similar to the design of the suit he wore last night. Nice touch. The black tux he wore was plain, but the light purple shirt underneath gave it a spark of color, which was nice.

Throughout the entire two and a half minutes Jaylan's been on stage, we've learned quite a lot about him. Like how he has a girlfriend named Paisley, and how he lost his friend, Koby, in the Hunger Games three years prior to this year.

"One last question: Are you planning on having any allies in the arena?" Caesar inquires.

He nods, "Oh, but of course! I would be dead meat without any help." Jaylan admits. I wouldn't doubt it. The kid's a beanpole.

Following him was the tiny Blazene Freer of Nine. Her blonde hair was curled into individual single loose-curls. The dress she wore shows her innocence, and that she was only thirteen. It had small, spaghetti straps, and was the color of milk chocolate, which matched well with the turqoise-accented flowers along the bottom. The dress went to her knees, and had a silky teal bow across her stomach.

When Blazene sits in the interview chair, you can tell she's beyond nervous. She's shaking, for crying out loud. If that doesn't give it away, I don't know what will!

"So, how did you _feel_ when you were Reaped, Blazene?"

She lets out a pitiful sigh, "I can honestly say, I had to see it coming. Last year, I entered for tesserae, same thing this year. So I already had my name in there four times." Her voice was slightly squeaky, as if the internal dam would break, and she'd begin to burst into tears, but she stayed strong, "But I was utterly surprised. I felt numb, like a weird fuzzy, almost buzzing, feeling took over my body. It was quite strange…"

Caesar nods, as if he knew how Blazene was feeling.

She may be cute, but I don't feel any more sorry for her than any of the other tributes. She's a district-goer! None of them should deserve an 'I'm sorry, here's a cookie'.

Even though I didn't feel bad for the young girl, her story was quite sad. Her mother died years ago, and now her father's on his deathbed. The only person who's there to take care of her is her older brother, Jake.

After Blazene had finished her interview, her partner, Joseph, who was an awkward, shy boy, took his turn on stage, wearing a shiny tux with a shine similar to the one he wore on the chariot.

Like a few interviews before his own, Joseph's was nothing special in particular. Both parents were dead, and he's now in charge of his three little sisters- Joanna, Samantha, and Maria.

I kinda just blocked his session out, for my own enjoyment. …I think I may have dozed off for a minute… Whoops!

"-And now, welcome Poppy Nevenson!" Poppy stands up quickly, her big, dark brown eyes are fixated forwards as she walks. Her dress is quite cute- a bright, vibrant green that shimmers very slightly. It is held up by two simple spaghetti straps, like Blazene's dress, and goes a few inches above her knees. But what makes it even better is the fact that it's poofy! I love poofy dresses!

"Hello Poppy." He greets her politely, just as he did with the others.

A perfect white smile crosses her face, "Hello Caesar." Poppy pulls one of her two long braids over her shoulder.

"How about we get to know you better. What are some things you _don't_ like?" He presses the question.

She ponders this for half a second, "Well, gore is one of the top ones on my list. I get sick to my stomach when I see any blood, it's quite gross. Uhm… Oh, and rude people of course."

"Oh, but of _course_. Who _doesn't_?" He adds. Poppy nods along with him.

Though she seems like a shining star here, Poppy notes that she's actually an introvert, and a _huge_ one at that, but she's open for any allies.

"Good-bye, Poppy, and best of luck in the Games!" Caesar wishes her off, and there's a large amount of attention from the audience as she scoots away to her seat. Well, she's a crowd favorite already…

After little Poppy, was Bull. Those two are exact opposites. She's small, he's a giant, she has dark skin, hair and eyes, and he has lighter-tanned skin, dirty blonde hair, and light blue eyes.

"…So, is there anything you'd like to say to your fellow tributes?" Caesar asks before time was up.

Bull nods, "Mess with tha bull and you get tha fist... Wait I mean horns... Man I totally messed that up…" We all laugh in amusement at the threatening, but lighthearted, boy from the livestock district. He's been quite entertaining during his three minutes.

We were in the home stretch now, we'd been going for quite a while. So long, that I've completely forgotten what time it was. I look beside me, where Tysin was sitting. He's zonked out, just like last night.

"-So Ivy, do you have any siblings at home to look forward to winning for?" This question (that I nearly missed due to my lack of attention-span) sets Ivy Fields off a bit. Her face went from a forced smile, to a grimace.

She shakes her head, "No. Just my… mother." She answered the question, the way it came out was like it was compulsory. The little pause before she mentioned her mom makes me wonder about her home life.

My mind began to wander once more. The shrill sound of the bell made me jump from my trance. As Ivy was walking back to her seat, I noticed her pretty (of course, it was poofy) powder-blue dress. The straps were thin, and it was quite short. The bodice was tight-fitting, and gave her chest an upper-hand, making look bigger than it would probably normally be. What _really_ stuck out were the sparkles and the two large, oval-shaped pearls that looked like they were buttons on the front of the dress.

Before I was really even paying attention, the little stalker-child from District Eleven, Isaac, filed himself up and plopped himself right in the comfortable-looking chair. He wasn't wearing anything special, just a plain black dress suit.

His entire interview was nothing but either a nod or a shake of the head for yes and no questions. He barely spoke, and when he did, his voice was hardly above audible.

I didn't even understand a single word he said. The only reason I knew what his answers were, was because of Caesar's reactions and questions relating to the answer. All I know is that he's particularly close with his Dad, and he's considered a 'freak' back at home- teased by his peers, even his own older brother. Wow… How depressing.

The familiar ringing sound returns, and Isaac gets back up and leaves to go to his seat.

Finally, we're at the last two tributes: District Twelve. First was the female tribute- a twelve-year old whose name was Melodie Dunne. She wore a long, pretty blue gown. It sparkled glamorously whenever she made a single move.

"My, my, my… Melodie, you look beautiful!" Caesar complimented the tween.

Her soft voice was about as hard to hear as Isaac's, "T-Thank you…"

The two dove right into the questions. The first one was about her sister, who went into the Games a few years ago and died straight-away. That upset Melodie a bit, so the subject was dropped.

"What about your friends? Surely a sweet girl like you must have many friends…?"

She nodded, a dimpled smile came across her features, "Yes. Lucie Black and Del Ackroyd, they're my best friends." It was all she said, but it was nice to see happiness from a District 12 tribute, considering they're mostly all depressing and heavyhearted.

After that, Melodie was finished.

"Now, last, but not least, here's Rhine Stromer!" When Rhine stood up, he did _not_ look good. In fact, I've come to the conclusion that he hates crowds. During the Reapings, he was freaking out- it was over his features.

Tonight, he wore a very nice (and clean, strange for a District Twelve-er) black suit with a shimmering tie similar to that of Cubix's.

Like Isaac, he didn't talk much. Matter-of-fact, not much information was retrieved from him at all, except that he led a normal life, was an only child and had two close friends. Wow, can you say _bo_ring…?

After the final bell sounded, tiredness finally caught up with me. When I checked my silver pocketwatch, it read eleven o'clock. Oh my… No wonder I'm so exhausted…

**Author's note: _'Congratulations! You made it to the end of the chapter without having your head explode!(:'_**

**^I'm so mean... XD**

**~Adrienne~  
**


	9. This is our world stage!

**Blah.  
**

**************************Hikari Darkness: 0 pts. - EnnixiaMaeLin: 51 pts. - Weirdness-is-cool: 20 pts. - Iwasscreaming LONG LIVE: 40 pts. - Sallen: 30 pts. - CodyOnTheBounce T.V.: 41 pts. - jblonde123: 12 pts.- Munamana: 16 pts. - M30WHelloKellyM30W: 18 pts. - Desdemona312: 26 pts. - Rue's sis: 16 pts. - the silence will fall: 20 pts. - ChibiPanda315: 14 pts. - vivaciousvesper739: 12 pts. - shadowboy8456: 12 pts. - Sarah303: 4 pts.**

******************Disclaimer: **_'I don't own THG! Quit asking! Mother frickerrr!:L' _-Hehehe

**Chapter Nine- This is our world stage!**

**Melanie Dusk**

I was abruptly torn from my blissful sleep as my stylist woke me, telling me that my clothes were already laid out. It was then that I realized what day it was- the day the Games began.

Excitedly, I hopped out of bed as I heard my bedroom door close, and I was left by myself to get dressed. I glanced over at the desk, where the clothes lay. Sitting in a pile was a small, tight-fitting, dark gray tank top that exposed my midriff, a large, black '2' was written on the front. Underneath the shirt were a pair of knee shorts that were the same color gray as the top, they appeared to be skin-tight. There was a black pair of shoes, I believe they are water shoes. The style is simple, they look like plain black ballet flats. Hanging on the chair next to the desk was a black belt in which you could easily stow any small belongings in.

Quietly, I got dressed and then looked in the mirror.

The outfit looked sharp, complimenting my body perfectly. My toned stomach showed, thanks to the short top. The straps and the bottom elastic of the shirt was made of a tough netting material, probably to easily release any unneeded water. _'Guess we're going into a water arena…'_ I thought.

I opened the door, and began to silently walk down to the elevator when I realized I had forgotten my red ribbon- my token. Hurriedly, I sprinted back down to my room and snatched the silky ribbon from off of the bedside table. I held it tightly in my hands, stroking it as I padded down the carpeted hall.

"Ah, there you are! Come here." My stylist, Ashtyn, calls me over after I step out of the elevator, "You're going to need your hair up and out of the way, my dear. So take a seat." I obey him and just kind of chill in my seat until he finishes.

When he does finish, I peer into the hand mirror he gives to me. My hair was pulled into a tight side braid, not a single one of my perfect blonde hairs were out of place. The one thing I noticed was that my ribbon was woven excellently into the braid. Creative.

"Well, dear. You're off on your next adventure. Good luck." Ashtyn didn't say anything else as an automated woman's voice spoke from the loudspeakers overhead. I was ushered over to the clear tube by two Peacekeepers, and didn't say a single word. My mouth formed into a smirk. Half of me wanted to run to the tube, not wanting to wait a mere second longer, but the other half of me kept walking silently. While standing there, a woman calmly walked towards Cameron and I with two needles. Oh, I knew what those were. The tracking devices. One quick needle stick and the tracker was safely under my skin. …I wonder how hard it was for the lady to inject the chip into Cameron's arm, seeing as though his arms were nearly pure muscle.

"Thirty seconds until launch. Please enter the tubes." The robotic voice demanded. I watched my step as I set foot in the tall clear tunnel. The metal plate under me felt strange and it was then that my mind began to race about the other tributes that could cause a threat.

Thalia- She is one of my allies, but with her strength she can knock down pretty much anyone. …And if she gets her hands on a whip…

Alabaster- The little pedigree boy has had years and years of training. Of course, we all have, but he's had the finest…

Cameron- There's no explanation needed.

Marco- The boy's vast knowledge of creating weapons of mass-destruction can bring a large number of tributes down with the flick of the wrist…

Venicitiy- Even though she's an ally, I _definitely_ have to keep an eye on her. I'll end up with a dagger in my chest before I can blink.

Morphine- She's created an empire of Capitolites for sponsors without even trying, not that it was hard- the Capitol is made up of xenophiles. She's intelligent, and could easily poison someone in their sleep.

Kitsch- There's something about this feline-esque woman that I just can't put my finger on. Best to keep my tabs on her though…

Bull- The tall cowboy is most certainly on my list of 'tributes-to-watch'. He'll be able to snap my neck in a matter of seconds.

I'm harshly jerked back to reality as both Cameron and I were lifted upwards into the arena. My heart raced with adrenaline. I've trained all my life for this moment. Me, Melanie Dusk, the gorgeous seventeen-year old girl from District Two, will win these Hunger Games. I will win with pride, and bring riches to the district.

Cameron and I are lifted into the bright and hot arena. My earlier thoughts about the design were wrong. In fact, they were way off.

For a great distance, the most I could see was a _very_ arid desert. But just peeking out of the right-hand side of my vision was something quite large and gray- a cave system. There was a dessicated forest to the left, the trees sat sad and decayed.

I looked to my left. Alabaster was close by my side, and Cameron was on my right. Next to Alabaster was Thalia, she was the farthest to the right. After Cameron was Corta, then Marco, and so on. When the final tribute's plate clicked into place, the digital clock above the metallic horn began to count down. I prepared myself.

I felt a tiny bead of sweat appear on my right temple, but I didn't dare wipe it away- even the slightest change in pressure would surely blow me off of my plate and to the moon.

Ten seconds left. Ten. Grueling. Seconds.

This will be beyond easy. My brain starts sorting through all of the ways I could end a tribute's life. Knife to the heart. Speared straight through. Suffocation. The possibilities are endless, really.

I look down the row. There's 'wolf-boy', as we (we being the Careers) named him after his interview last night. He stuffs something small and unrecognizable in his pocket and zips it shut. Loser.

Suddenly, the gong sounds, and I grit my teeth as I launch myself off of the plate in two seconds flat. The sand is quite easy to sprint across, surprisingly. It's like there's a hard surface underneath to make us dash to the Cornucopia quicker.

I'm barely in the lead, competing with Wolf-boy, who quickly threw himself on the ground, did a side-roll, grabbed a pack of knives, and dashed off with his hand grasped around little Melodie's wrist, dragging her off towards the caves.

There was another pack of knives waiting for me, calling my name. I reach them first and unsheath one faster than you can blink. Rapid footsteps could be heard coming up behind me, and I drove the knife straight into the mystery tribute's throat. I whip myself around, finally revealing who it was. Cubix Nikson- the strange boy from Six. Crimson blood pools from the entry wound I've created. I smirk, first kill already.

In the not-so-far distance, I see Cameron heft up the lanky boy from District 12 and violently throw him on the ground. The boy lets out a cry of pain and… anger? Before I can even finish comprehending that, my district partner thrusts his newly-obtained spear into his chest cavity, and quickly rips it back out, blood staining the metallic rod.

I kneel down around the supplies, stowing as much as I possibly can into the voluminous backpack in front of me. A foot stumbles in front of me, I look up, facing Phin Tallow of Five. She looks like a deer in the headlights, clothed in the light purple garments to represent her district. She shakes her head, as if to clear it, and quickly starts sifting through the items. Is she _stupid_? Her ass if going to get slaughtered here and now, whether it be by me, personally, or not.

Venicitiy unexpectedly leaps into the air, both arms held abover her head, clinging to a glistening dagger. She lands atop Phin with great force and teases her with the pointed weapon, making threnchant remarks. I can hear Phin whimper underneath Citiy, and then she delivers the final blow, killing her ultimately. I buckle the large backpack closed, and stand up.

"Nice kill." I compliment her.

She smiles, one that is so sickly sweet… "I know." And she goes to grab more weapons.

Thalia roughly tackles Joseph down to the sand, and he receives hard, sharp blows to either temples repeatedly. Quite entertaining.

In the corner of my eye, Ivy Fields, with her long brown hair in a low ponytail flowing behind her, quickly grabs a bow and a quiver filled with several golden arrows. The lucky bitch…

I exert extra power as I push myself after her, and forcefully chuck a knife at her. She realizes there's a weapon whistling through the air at her, and slides into the dusty earth, kicking up the sand around her into a large dust cloud. Did I get her?

Ivy stands back up and pulls a knife out of her thigh. Yes! I might not've killed her, but I've maimed her at least.

When I turn back around, there are only four bodies. Four dead bodies laying in their own pools of their bright red blood, staining the ocher ground around them. Then, I look up at my allies. We were the only living tributes for a good distance now.

Cameron stood there, shaking, "…Only four.. Damn tributes…?" I nudge Cubix's dead body with my foot. His head lolls to the side, and more blood pours out from his neck.

"I say we gather the leftovers…" Vencitiy suggests, playing with her ponytail. Her chocolate-brown hair was braided back at the bangs, and pulled into a sleek style. I then inspect the rest of our outfits. The girls were all apparently wearing the same outfit, as were the guys with their own designs. The only difference with my outfit and my two female companions' was the color. Thalia wore a peach-pink colored equivalent to me, and Citiy wore a teal version.

Cameron and Alabaster's clothes were a pair of shorts like ours, minus the tight-fitting part, and a tight shirt with either a '2' or '1' on it. The only thing that was the same between the five of us were the belts.

"No, we've gotten enough." Cameron looks over the four of us like a drill sergeant, eyeing me, with my overstuffed pack, a little longer, as if to say 'You've definitely proven useful.'

I breathe a sigh of relief. At least my allies haven't turned on me yet.

**Author's note: Welp, I realized that I love to write violence. So this year will be a real treat for you guys(: Might have to change the rating to 'M', depending on later chapters(; Be. Very. Afraid.**

**Alive Tributes: Thalia Storm, Alabaster Rhoan, Melanie Dusk, Cameron Derell, Corta Lee, Marco Quarry, Venicitiy Corbinette, Breandan Angler, Kellmer Mott, Morphine Andrews, Gardenia Darold, Riley Wolf, Kitsch Hirsch, Jaylan McCarty, Blazene Freer, Poppy Nevenson, Bull Fields, Ivy Fields, Isaac Stones, and Melodie Dunne.  
**

**Dead Tributes: Phin Tallow, Cubix Nikson, Joseph Strife, Rhine Stromer  
**

**~Adrienne~  
**


	10. This is our death cage!

**Rawwwwr, so effing tired. Although, I thank my mom for not having to force me to practice today;D Awsome uploads!:D I'm actually going to start writing another chapter today, as well:3  
**

**********************Hikari Darkness: 0 pts. - EnnixiaMaeLin: 51 pts. - Weirdness-is-cool: 20 pts. - Iwasscreaming LONG LIVE: 40 pts. - Sallen: 30 pts. - CodyOnTheBounce T.V.: 41 pts. - jblonde123: 12 pts.- Munamana: 16 pts. - M30WHelloKellyM30W: 18 pts. - Desdemona312: 26 pts. - Rue's sis: 16 pts. - the silence will fall: 20 pts. - ChibiPanda315: 14 pts. - vivaciousvesper739: 12 pts. - shadowboy8456: 12 pts. - Sarah303: 4 pts.  
**

**********************Disclaimer: I don't own THG.  
**

**Chapter Ten- This is our death cage!**

**Morphine Andrews**

I leisurely stroll through the dead forest and take note of a few things- the gaping hole in the tree, an animal's fully-decayed skeleton, even certain off-colored stones. This would be crucial if I wanted to know my way around this location. It would definitely benefit me in the long run.

My long hair, which was expertly thrown into a fishtail braid, keeps bouncing off of my back with every step I take. It's not getting in the way, so I don't really mind, but if it comes down to it, I'll cut it off with a knife. Maybe use it as a rope to suffocate other tributes, it just depends I suppose.

A few feet in front of me lies something I'd been searching for. The Destroying Angel. Amanita bisporigera. My ally in these wretched Games. I walk up to the nearly dried out fungi and carefully scoop them up into the metal canister I snatched at the bloodbath.

When I sneak this into an enemy's food, they'll have no hope. Amanita bisporigera is a fungus so deadly, it'll wipe you out in under 72 hours. After that, my job is done. The only thing they can do to help themselves is vigorous fluid and to restore their electrolytes. Getting it out of the system is proven extremely difficult.

I twist the cap tight, making sure the mushrooms wouldn't fall out, and head on my way to find a camp with what little supplies I had. A container full of mushrooms, a blowgun with three darts, and myself. My vast knowledge of things such as the human anatomy and plants will surely help me.

I can only hope I stay alive long enough to use my precious, precious Angels.

**Blazene Freer**

I run. I run and don't dare look back as Gardenia Darold pushes herself after me, wielding an axe. One mistake, and I'm done for. We race into the woods, the trees looking so forsaken, not one drop of water has touched this place for a while.

Gardenia lets out a groan, and a sharp, whistling sound tells me to dodge it. I make a sharp U-turn around a skinny tree and duck just in time to see her axe bury itself in the tree that was originally in front of me.

Fight or flight? Fighting with Gardenia will surely get me murdered brutally, so I scamper away, pulling myself up and into the weak and battered trees. I keep climbing until I have nowhere else to go. My breathing is heavy and ragged as I look down. Gardenia is scaling the tree with ease. How could I have been so stupid before? She's from Seven- she's _born_ for climbing trees!

An abrupt pull at my ankle signals that she had already caught up to me. No doubt we were on every television screen in Panem now. I let out a terrifying scream as my enemy dragged me down and threw me to the desolate earth. I hit the ground with a _thud_ and I knew that the wind was knocked out of me on contact. But I _had_ to get up. I _had_ to win. To get home and help daddy get better with the money. To prove that a dainty girl like me can survive the Hunger Games.

I pull myself across the coarse and grainy dirt, scraping my knees in the process. It's not even the end of day one and I'm already injuring myself…

"Oh no you don't!" Gardenia throws herself on top of me and flips me over to my back, smirking, "Well, looks like you're stuck now, aren't ya?" She teased.

I let out a whimper, "I could beat you up, y'know!" I lie. It wasn't very convicing though. My voice broke.

She scoffs, "As _if_! You wouldn't know how to take me down even if you tried!" She was right… Gardenia brought her axe up, and that's when I shut my eyes tightly. "Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Suddenly, all of Gardenia's muscular body was roughly pushed off of me, and my blue eyes opened to see Kellmer Mott holding a metal bar with a knocked-out Gardenia propped up harshly against the tree.

"C'mon!" He says, yanking me along. I see Corta running along with us, I'm guessing she's also an ally.

We run for what feels like forever until we hit a large, dessicated tree trunk with a huge, empty cavity inside. A perfect hideout. I crawl inside and collapse from exhaustion and dehydration. Sweat drips off of me, and I'm glad that the outfits we were given were minimal.

"We… Need to… find water…" I manage to get out in-between huffs. The burning in my lungs fails to subside.

Corta shakes her head, "No, you stay here. In fact, I'll stay with you and Kellmer can get it." He gives her a look of disbelief, but quickly shakes it off and grabs his blunt object as he stands.

"I'll be back soon, hopefully there's _some_ kind of water source…" He mumbles. Corta throws the canteen at him, he catches it, barely.

"You can't carry the water back if you have nothing to put it in."

He laughs, "Right. Uh, I'll find water, I promise."

Corta rolls her hazel eyes, and an auspicious smile crosses her face, "We'll have it off good, soon. Just try to relax, you took quite a fall."

I nod and roll over on my side to try and sleep. But it's hard to when you're afraid that you might be murdered before you even wake up.

**Marco Quarry**

Kitsch and I sit in the cool cave, much better than the stifling heat outside. I run a hand through my dark hair and let out a sigh. We were safe for now, I highly doubt anyone would dare to trek all the way through the system like we did. It was treacherous, let me tell you, but it's calm and quite refreshing. We're probably better off than the other tributes, the careers even.

"What did you manage to get at the bloodbath?" I ask, "Anything?" She doesn't say a word, but nods as she pulls several knife blades (No, not the whole knife, just the blades.) out of various compartments in her belt. Nothing else. I got lucky as well as I show Kitsch my wires and two small (Really. They could fit in my palm.) pieces of metal.

"Impressive." Is all she says. I take note that she's not exactly the conversational type, but I deemed her as loyal. Her intelligence will help us find food and water.

Both of us shut our mouths anyway. Voices could be heard farther up the path, towards the mouth of our drop off.

"I _swear_ I heard voices down there, Cameron! Can't we just take a look?" It was a girl's voice. Melanie's to be exact. The Careers were here. They were in our cave and they heard us.

The next voice was also one that belonged to a female. Venicitiy. "Whatever. I'm going down there." I feel my eyes widen a whole lot as I turn to face Kitsch. No words escape her lips as we stuff our belongings away and she yanks me farther into the darkness, behind a boulder. My heart hammers in my chest out of fear. I've never felt so terrified in my life. Ever.

"Come out, come out wherever you are." She called out in a demented tone. From the crack in-between the boulder and the rock wall, I saw her whip a dagger from the belt around her waist. It glinted in the dim light, the tip was slightly curved, giving it an ultimate feel of danger. A threatening smile spread across Venicitiy's face. She giggled. The bell-chime sound reverberates throughout the bottom of our cavern. "What's the matter? Don't you want to show your face to 'Pretty Little Citiy'?"

'_Hah. As if…'_

"Veni, just get back up here." Thalia calls from up above. I don't dare move, my breaths are slow and silent. I see her roll her eyes.

"I'll do what _I _want to, thank you very much!" She snaps back.

Cameron barks out orders from the ledge, "I'll personally gut you like the damned fish you are if you don't get back here!" His deep voice shakes the walls in the grotto. A look, one of annoyance, shows itself across her dainty facial features. But she obeys Cameron's orders and climbs back up. My heart stops beating at a million-miles an hour, and I let out a sigh.

"That was close…" I whisper so only Kitsch could hear. She nods, but she acted so nonchalant about it, her face showed that she was calm, and not a worry was hanging above her head.

Hah. I wish I could feel the same.

**Author's note: Thus ends the mega-upload. As long as we don't have another deletion, then we should have smooth-sailing from here. So send those sponsor gifts in via review or PM!(: (Preferably PM, so I don't 'get in trouble' with FF again-.-)  
**

**-Death Toll-**

**Alive Tributes: Thalia Storm, Alabaster Rhoan, Melanie Dusk, Cameron Derell, Corta Lee, Marco Quarry, Venicitiy Corbinette, Kellmer Mott, Morphine Andrews, Gardenia Darold, Riley Wolf, Kitsch Hirsch, Jaylan McCarty, Blazene Freer, Poppy Nevenson, Bull Fields, Ivy Fields, Isaac Stones, Melodie Dunne  
**

**Dead Tributes: Phine Tallow, Cubix Nikson, Joseph Strife, Rhine Stromer _'(I almost accidentally wrote 'Rhine Stoner'! XD Oh Lord...)'_  
**

_**'So, I'd like to announce something... YOU MAY NOW START SENDING SPONSOR GIFTS! If you want prices, they're on my other story, or, PM me, if you'd like to see the items and prices. It makes it easier.'**_

**~Adrienne (who sucks terribly at math, and who needs math anyway? Pshh, no need for it!)~  
**


	11. Come away to the water

**************************Okay, _finally_ a legit new chapter!(: Hopefully you guys are still there, and not drifting away because the story got deleted. That would suck. At least Sallen is there there:L haha Sponsor points!  
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**************************Hikari Darkness: 0 pts. - EnnixiaMaeLin: 51 pts. - Weirdness-is-cool: 20 pts. - Iwasscreaming LONG LIVE: 40 pts. - Sallen: 30 pts. - CodyOnTheBounce T.V.: 41 pts. - jblonde123: 12 pts.- Munamana: 16 pts. - M30WHelloKellyM30W: 18 pts. - Desdemona312: 26 pts. - Rue's sis: 16 pts. - the silence will fall: 20 pts. - ChibiPanda315: 14 pts. - vivaciousvesper739: 12 pts. - shadowboy8456: 12 pts. - Sarah303: 4 pts.**

**************************Disclaimer: I don't own THG.  
**

**Chapter eleven- Come away to the water**

**Kellmer Mott**

My head is pounding. Anxiety has driven me off the edge, not literally, figuratively, of course. I taste the salt from my sweat on my lips. The area around me is barren, I had exited the forest a good ten minutes ago.

Right now, I wished I hadn't. But if it's to save an ally, I'll do it. I use this motivation to push myself farther and farther to wherever the water may be.

What lies a good fifty feet in front of me is something I couldn't be able to tell of it being a mirage from reality. It _looked_ like a cave system. But this was the desert, would there really be a cave in the middle of this all? I mentally shrug and head in that direction. But upon closer inspection, I realize that someone has already beaten me here. In fact, a number of people.

'_Careers.' _A voice told me, _'Don't go in there. You'll die. The faster you die, the faster you lose.'_ I shake the voice out of my head and gain enough courage to descend to a lower level beneath the earth.

'_For Blazene and Corta…'_ The reminder rings through my head over and over. The small, metal rod is gripped tightly by my right hand, as my left holds the small water canteen that is bone-dry.

I get on my hands and knees and crawl to the edge that drops off, managing to peer over the cliff, despite my barely distinguishable fear of heights. There was a rope beside me, held into the ground by a metallic stake hammered in the sturdy rock. My eyes followed the rope to the bottom, and my heart just about stopped when I saw the Careers' camp set up, with them not too far away.

Cameron was the first person I noticed, with his massive frame, who could miss out on him anyway? He stood there, feet planted into the soggy gravel, arms crossed, and barking out orders to the other Careers like no other. Venicitiy Corbinette leans against the cavern wall, a smug grin is slapped on her face. She acts so uppity, but I'm sure, when it comes down to it, she'll be _begging_ for mercy at the hands of her killer.

I feel my eyes wander a little farther and notice a reasonably large lake behind one of the rocks Cameron was leaning on. The water was a beautiful sight. This is exactly what we need! But… how am I going to get down there, and escape unscathed? Or at least, alive? I look a bit to the right and see another cavern underneath the original one where the Careers stood. I bet there's water in there, not to mention I'd be able to get down there without them noticing me…

The only problem was that I had no ropes in my small pack. I had nothing to help me scale my way down the rocky wall. I would have to do it bare-handed. A deep sigh rushes out of my lungs as I begin to slowly grovel in the darkness of the cave, using it to camouflage myself from the Careers. Once I had finally reached the drop-off of the second antre, I carefully dropped my legs over the edge, shaking, of course, and began to clamber down the wall.

All was going well… until I felt my hand slip on a mossy rock. That's when I fell.

**Poppy Nevenson**

I sit up in a dried tree, the branch barely sags under my light weight. A surge of realization hits me that I'm _really_ in the Hunger Games… Wow. A single, silent tear escapes my eye and falls down my face. They say that if the first tear falls from your left eye, it's a sign of sadness, and if from the right- happiness.

It definitely came from the left first.

The sky's source of light is dipping lower and lower, which means it'll be getting colder soon… Fantastic.

I shiver a bit from the air that's starting to become a bit chilled, and play with the end of one of my braids. Then I realize: I'm wearing an orange outfit, and sitting in a tree with _no_ leaves. I'm basically setting myself up for my death. _I need allies…_I could always ally with Bull, but who knows where he is by now? And plus, he might be allied with some dummies who are just basically _waiting_ to kill me. I shake the thought out of my head.

'_Maybe they'll let me join them. Yeah! I mean, I'm useful. I can find edible plants and make smokeless fires. They'd _love_ to have me!'_ I smile at my optimism. It made me feel ten times better. Maybe I'll have a pretty good chance at winning these Games after all!

I hop down from the low branch and begin to walk. Will I find Bull? Who knows? I just need to find shelter before dusk…

**Isaac Stones**

I fiddle with one of the zippers on the belt in the insufficient light, trying to see if maybe, just maybe, we were all given something in there to help us survive. I finally get it open, and, much to my dismay, it's empty.

Depressing.

There's nothing but desert and a few cactuses before me. The low sun makes their shadows creep closer to me. At this rate, they're the only living things nearby. Most of the other tributes are probably either in the caves or the forest, and I'm avoiding both. I feel the gentle scratch of the woven bracelet around my wrist as I walk farther towards the sun. It's comforting, a reminder of home, and my father.

He was the only person I was truly close to, and when my name was reaped, I was torn from him. And then there's my brother, Jackson… Oh, he gets my blood boiling… He _could've_ volunteered for me. He _could've_ saved me. He's eighteen, still in reaping age, for crying out loud! But no, Jackson _wants_ me to die, I just know it. All these years he's called me creepy, and I've been working my butt off to please me older brother, to show him I _wasn't_ all that weird. I never did anything to him, except 'annoyed' him. He'll regret all of this. All of the years he took me for granted.

I'll show him that he's made the biggest mistake ever by not volunteering. If I'm going to die, I'm going to go out with a bang, and that's a promise.

**Author's note: Also, I apologize for those of you who have me on Author alert and such. I kinda raped your notifications the other day whie trying to catch my other story up XD So... Death toll?**

**Alive Tributes: Thalia Storm, Alabaster Rhoan, Melanie Dusk, Cameron Derell, Corta Lee, Marco Quarry, Venicitiy Corbinette, Breandan Angler, Kellmer Mott, Morphine Andrews, Gardenia Darold, Riley Wolf, Kitsch Hirsch, Jaylan McCarty, Blazene Freer, Poppy Nevenson, Bull Fields, Ivy Fields, Isaac Stones, Melodie Dunne**

**Dead Tributes: Phin Tallow, Cubix Nikson, Joseph Strife, Rhine Stromer  
**

**There won't be a sponsor question this chapter, but if you want to send in a gift, please senf that SEPARATELY from your review! Thanks!(:  
**

**~Adrienne~  
**


	12. United

**Hi!(: So, hopefully you guys all got the messages I sent to you:D I'm aware most of you did, so thanks for your patience!^-^ Sponsor Point time!:L Oh, and to Sarah303, I'm going to give you +8 points since you reviewed twice _and_ because you're a newbie:3 ahaha, just because there's no more sponsor questions doesn't mean you guys won't get points! Remember- each chapter you review, you get +4 pts.  
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******************************Hikari Darkness: 0 pts. - EnnixiaMaeLin: 51 pts. - Weirdness-is-cool: 20 pts. - Iwasscreaming LONG LIVE: 44 pts. - Sallen: 34 pts. - CodyOnTheBounce T.V.: 41 pts. - jblonde123: 12 pts.- Munamana: 16 pts. - M30WHelloKellyM30W: 18 pts. - Desdemona312: 26 pts. - Rue's sis: 16 pts. - the silence will fall: 20 pts. - ChibiPanda315: 14 pts. - vivaciousvesper739: 12 pts. - shadowboy8456: 12 pts. - Sarah303: 12 pts.**

**Chapter twelve- United**

**Jaylan McCarty**

The three of us trudge though the dusty forest, looking for a shelter. The sun has long since disappeared, and it was getting later and later into the night.

"Did y'all hear that?" Bull looks around cautiously. Okay, to be honest, this guy's not exactly the brightest crayon in the box, but he sure as hell is one heck of a brick wall when it comes to blocking enemies.

Breandan nods, "I heard something…"

I feel my head tilt to the side, I didn't hear anything. Suddenly, both of them swivel their heads in the opposite direction, "There it is again!" Breandan points out. Now that I _really_ payed close attention, I heard a noise too. It was an odd sound, which was hard to describe. It sounded like the tree branches bending underneath little-to-no weight. I squinted my eyes and looked up in the treetops. There was someone there, a tiny girl, whose silhouette was outlined by the moon.

"Who's there?" Bull asked the mystery person.

The girl jumped down from branch to branch, and finally climbed down the base trunk. It was Poppy, Bull's district partner.

"It's just Poppy, we're good." He says, sounding the slightest bit relieved. She stands a good ten feet away from us, bringing her arms around her chest, shivering like a wet puppy dog.

Breandan tightly grips his mace, "What do you want?" The words didn't come out as harsh as I had expected them to. Then again, it's Breandan I'm talking about, the kid's not exactly the meanest guy out there.

"Uhm, well…" Poppy's words spilled out of her mouth in a jumbled mess, "I-I was w-wondering if I could, uh, join y-your alliance?" Her voice was near a whisper, although I wouldn't blame her. Other tributes could be out here waiting for the right moment to surprise ambush us all. I mean, Bull and Breandan could take them on if it were just one or two people, but any more and we'd be toast for sure.

It was my turn to talk, "What are you capable of?"

"Well…" She began, "I know how to find food, and I can start fires without smoke. I can also climb trees if you need a lookout." The others turned, as did I, and looked at each other.

"What do you think, Bull? You're kind of the leader here." I've learned to not use big words around him and Breandan, they'll just get all confused and whatnot. I'm pretty sure I'm the only bright guy in this alliance, not to sound rude or anything…

He thinks on the subject for a few silent moments, "Sure, why not? She could be a big help 'round here. I dunno 'bout you guys, but I can't start fires, no matter how hard ah try." His southern drawl was quite dominant when he spoke, sometimes I couldn't understand Bull, since back in District Eight, we were more proper when we spoke, in fact, Language Arts and English Literature were what made us stand out in academics.

"I don't mind. She'll probably help us a great deal. What about you, Jaylan?" Breandan asked of me.

I shrugged, "I think we should go for it." The three of us nod in unison and turn back toward Poppy, who was still standing in the same place we left her in, shaking like a leaf. Whether it was out of terror or the temperature drop, I wasn't certain.

"Okay, we'll let you join our group," Breandan begins. A grin splashes across Poppy's facial features, " But you have to do an even amount of work so we can all last longer, got it?"

"Okay! I can start making a fire, if you'd like. Most of the tree bark here is dry, but I've found some that could work…" We give her the 'OK' and she wanders off with a knife Bull provided her with.

We each take a seat on the ground, and I lean up against a tree, "I've noticed that you and Poppy's arena outfits don't exactly blend in. Same with you, Breandan. I mean, I have white, but I'm not as bad…"

Bull lets out a huff, "Ah know, and it's bad. Others will jus' come runnin' up to me and slice me clean open with this orange shirt!" Then I remembered that I excelled exceptionally in art class- something that would _definitely _prove helpful here.

"Hold on a moment…" I say as I stand up and grab loads of dirt, "You guys will be fixed in no time."

**Ivy Fields**

I sit in the nook of two branches in a tree on the outskirts of the forest, avoiding all life. The knife wound on my leg has stopped oozing blood a while ago, but the pain is still horrible. Not as bad as when mo- _Maple_ gave me the scar across my back, but pretty damn close since the knife came from a trained Career.

Luckily I snatched this bow and a quiver of arrows at the bloodbath. I probably shouldn't have, relieving myself of this nasty injury, but how else would I have gotten these? Sponsors are way out there and out of the question as of now, so that was the only way out… I don't honestly give a damn about what my mentor told me, if I want to go grab things from the Cornucopia, then let me! I'm not listening to some old geezer who probably won the Games by chance.

Below, there's a sound of someone walking and metal being dragged closely behind. I look down to find that muscular female tribute from Seven. Gardenia? Yeah, I think that's her name.

"Hey." I call carelessly from my spot, Gardenia looks up, narrowing her eyes at me with distrust.

"What do you want?" She spits.

I smirk, "An alliance. Are you up for it?" Personally, I didn't really want an alliance with her, but she was the closest person around, and with that axe, it might be easy to knock out a few tributes, with my help and my arrows.

We stare each other down for a few moments, neither of us speak a word. Finally, she nods, "Sure. I guess it won't be _that_ bad. Can I come up?"

I wonder if she'll try to kill me when she gets up here. Not that she would actually get that far. I'd stab an arrow in her heart five seconds before she'd even _try_ to get that axe through me.

"Yeah, come on." I permit access to her. Gardenia stores her axe in a loop on her belt and climbs up within a small time frame.

Maybe an alliance won't be bad.

**Melodie Dunne**

I hold the slingshot close to me in the little light I have from the moon. Judging from how long the sun's been down and how dark it is, I'd say it's almost midnight.

Riley left an hour ago to find something to eat, which I doubt he'll find anything anyway. There's no life out in the desert except cactuses and maybe the occasional tribute, but there's a strict rule about cannibalism in the Games that nobody truly ever speaks of. Although, I do remember Lucie telling me something about a part in a survival book she checked out from the school's dainty collection. It said that a cactus stores water for itself, due to the lack of rain in arid areas, maybe that's how we'll get our water…

I was just about to doze off when a loud voice came from ahead, "Ah, good evening tributes, what a day! Although, there was not much tribute activity… No matter, let's see those who've fallen short on the journey, shall we?" Slowly, on my hands and knees, and travel to the mouth of the cave and stay there.

The first tribute to appear was Phin Tallow from District Five. I remember seeing her at training a couple of times, she wasn't too great with handling the weapons- I think she was more of a strategist. It's a shame she's gone already. Next was Cubix Nikson from Six, I knew from watching the recaps of the Reapings that he wouldn't make it too far, even though he looked to be quite intelligent… After him was Joseph Strife, I think I saw him once or twice during training, and that was it, I never really saw him after that, with the exception of the Tribute Interviews of course. He didn't seem anything special, so I'm not surprised that he's dead, but it's still sad, seeing kids die like this. The last face to show created pangs of hurt in my chest- it was Rhine, my district partner. He was always so nice to me before we got into the arena. It made me want to cry. So I did. I cried without making a single sound. I hadn't even known Rhine that long, and I'm getting choked up about him. I guess it's the fact that we came from District 12 together.

"Disappointing, my dear tributes. Good luck." Mr. Templesmith's voice shut off and the anthem finished. The sky went black, give or take a few stars and the moon.

I crawl back into the cave and sit in-between a large rock and the cave wall, holding my slingshot, loaded, and hoping nobody would find me.

'_Riley, come back soon…'_ I thought desperately, _'I hate being all alone out here…'_ I rest my head against the cool stone and my eyes flutter shut. The only noises were the sound of my heartbeat and a slow, steady windstream outside. This all would've been calming if I weren't afraid someone, some_thing_ would find me here in my little cranny.

After five minutes of sitting uncomfortably, I began to hear voices. They sounded pretty muffled, so I'm guessing that the people they belong to are on the opposite side of the cave. With that, I squeeze my closed eyes tighter. I feel my muscles tense up. The voices get louder, as if the tributes are yelling at one another, and that's when I'm able to put names to those voices. The Careers. All of them. They're in the cave too, and I'm stuck. Thalia, Cameron, Alabaster, Venicitiy and Melanie are all here with their sharp weapons and they could kill me in a mere second. My brain goes into panic mode and my heartrate quickens dramatically as I pull myself out of my hiding spot with my sweaty palms. I've never felt so terrified in my lifetime.

"Hey."

I gasped and whirled around.

**Author's note: Aaaaaand que cliffhanger. Dun, DUN, DUNNNNN! Hahaha yeah, who do you guys think ran into Melodie? Leave your answer in the reviews. Now, time for the death toll (even though it hasn't changed. Trust me, it will soon)!**

**Alive Tributes: Thalia Storm, Alabaster Rhoan, Melanie usk, Cameron Derell, Corta Lee, Marco Quarry, Venicitiy Corbinette, Breandan Angler, Kellmer Mott, Morphine Andrews, Gardenia Darold, Riley Wolf, Kitsch Hirsch, Jaylan McCarty, Blazene Freer, Poppy Nevenson, Bull Fields, Ivy Fields, Isaac Stones, Melodie Dunne  
**

**Dead Tributes: Phin Tallow, Cubix Nikson, Joseph Strife, Rhine Stromer  
**

**Well, I'm pretty sure that's it for now. Review and hopefully I'll be able to update soon!^-^ Hehe  
**

**~Adrienne~  
**


	13. Run Survive Kill

**So, in this chapter, I believe we say goodbye to three tributes. Also, Riley makes his first appearance in this chapter. Sorry I took so long to put him in here! I just needed to find the right time!:L Also, +8 points for you, Sallen. You're awesome, Sallen. You go! XD If anyone wants to do what Sallen's doing, go ahead, you'll get +4 points each time you review the older chapters(: Make sure they're meaningful, though!  
**

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**********************************Disclaimer: I don't own THG. Enjoy this chapter- I worked hard on it(;  
**

**Chapter thirteen- Run. Survive. Kill.**

**Thalia Storm**

"There! There he is!" Cameron shouts, his deep voice booming off the walls as we chase after the scrawny redhead from Five out of the grotto. He scrambles up from the ground and sprints a good ten feet ahead of the pack. He's fast, I'll give him that, but it's not enough. Venicitiy and I are running ahead of the group, thanks to our speed, with Cameron right behind us. Alabaster and Melanie are slightly slower than us three, so they're farther behind.

We end up chasing him out of the cave and into the desert, where I now notice that the very early streaks of sunlight signify morning.

The kid's got something in his hand. What is it? …It's some sort of stick, I suppose, a metallic one at that.

It happened so quickly. He was so busy keeping an eye on us, that Five didn't see the rock he stumbled and fell over. The five of us quickly closed him in, all staring down at him with evil grins. A scared look crosses his trembling face as he stood up. Melanie began to make the first move, and we stood there, cheering her on. But as she went to tackle the boy down, he took his rod and forced it into her eye socket. Blood began to pour out and Melanie let out terrible, bloodcurdling scream as the boy brought the rod down on her skull, making a sickening _crack_ before barreling through me and speeding away.

Melanie lay there on the ground, cradling her eye and screaming horrifying sounds that I didn't think was even possible for a human being. Her head was completely sunken in and bits of the skull were exposed. I turned around, picked up the heavy stone that was tripped over, and did what I had to do.

Blood spurted everywhere as I dropped the heavy stone on Melanie's once-gorgeous face and her cannon sounded.

Nobody said anything, not even Ven, who would always make snide comments about Mel.

**Cameron Derell**

"Let's go." I say harshly, "Let's follow him. Kill him _and_ his allies." Honestly, I don't care that he just played a part in Melanie's death- should I? Hah. HahaNo- but he left an easy trail to follow, the more deaths, the better.

I hear a whine from Venicitiy. That's when I snap, "I've just about _had_ it with you, you little princess! You either listen to me, or you get your ass killed! Got it?" I have my spear raised, ready to throw it at her heart within a second. She rolled her eyes and just nods. _'That's what I thought…' _I turn back around and the four of us walk, leaving Melanie's bloody corpse behind us, and moving towards the next few deaths, in which I'll enjoy every single second.

We travel for quite a while before we see the white, scorched trees.

"What do we do now?" Alabaster asks. Now that the sun's risen, I can make out everybody's faces. I look around the forest before us and see the same tracks we've been following for an hour now.

"Do what we've been doing, you idiot, follow the footsteps." I growl in response. This kid had another thing coming if he thought that he'd bring an idea into the group.

So, we did what I'd said, and we were lucky enough that the kid didn't cover his footprints. _'So stupid…' _I thought. That's when we stopped in front of a tree with a small hole in the trunk. There was a 'shh' sound, and then all was silent.

"Oranges! Carrots!" A little voice shouted, but was abruptly cut off and muffled a great deal. I grinned.

Easy Kill.

Quickly and roughly, I thrust my fist into the weak and thin treetrunk, knocking a wide hole in the side and used my spear to prod the young, blonde girl nearest to me. When she let out a shriek, I knew I'd hit her. I swiftly ripped my spear back through the hole, and discovered the amount of blood on it. I got her good.

"Alabaster." He focused his eyes on me, "Put your mace to good use, why don't you?" A grin spread on his face, ear-to-ear. He walked over to the tree and swung his spiked weapon into the dead plant, making my hole bigger and bigger with each hit.

There was cheering and hoots of excitement from all of us as Alabaster took one final swing, making the gap big enough to drag any three tributes out. I walked back over and yanked one of blondie's braids, pulling her out of the tree. She squealed and cried under my hold, but I didn't set her down, I held her hovering a few inches above the dirt, now, by both braids.

"Let me go now, you big bully!" She attempted to name-call, but that ended in failure. I simply laughed. Blondie's legs swung around, and she tried clawing at my hands, but there was _no_ way I was letting go. This was too fun.

Venicitiy walked over and got in her face, "Awh, how adorable. Little braids? Who did those? Your _mommy_?" A tinkling laugh escaped her throat as she pushed Blondie, making her sway. I looked over into the treetrunk, niether the little 'produce-girl' nor the redhead moved or said a single word as they watched their ally in absolute terror as she slowly moved side-to-side, like someone who has been hung. Little miss blonde-braids is bawling underneath my hand. Suddenly, she loses her shit and screams bloody murder.

"My mother is _dead_, you- you…" She was at a loss for words. I looked down at her head, her scalp was starting to bruise. Cool.

Venicitiy shrugs, "Oh. Darn. I didn't mean to say that." She says. There wasn't a hint of sincerity in her voice. "Can I do the honor?" She asks me.

She actually wants to do something? "Go for it." I drop Blondie and give her a swift kick in the back before I let Venicitiy finish her off.

"No fair… I wanted to do it." Thalia pouts. I shoot a glare at her, and she immediately shuts up. _Actually_, I kind of wanted to do this myself. But watching others do it is much better and not as tiring. I'm saving up my energy for that beast from District Ten. No use wasting time on a little whiny brat like Blondie-Braids.

I lean against the tree, not covering up the hole there so the ginger kid and the freak can see her being sliced to bits.

"Hold still, dear. This will only hurt a lot…" Venicitiy slices down the girl's arm, and blood begins to slowly dribble out. Thalia and Alabaster are laughing in pure amusement, while I just relax against the tree and chuckle darkly. Blondie lets out a cry of anguish, one that's high-pitched like a child's. And that's all she is, a little kid. With each cut Venicitiy makes on her, Blondie-Braids cries harder, it's even more entertaining in real life than it is on television.

"Oh, look. That wouldn't be a major artery, would it?" She smirks at the little figure beneath her.

Quickly, I feel a sharp sensation in the back of my upper right arm, near my shoulderblade. I whipped around and saw the skinny, black-haired, freakshow peering back at me nervously, her eyes filled with immediate regret. I know mine held nothing but mercilessness and cruelty, which mirrored exactly how I felt. My hand tore through the excess tree bark around the opening and pulled the fragile-looking thirteen-year old out. She started screaming just like Blondie did, although kicking much more ferociously than her ally.

I ripped the knife out of my arm and slashed at her face.

"If you _ever_ try that again, I'll- wait, you'll never make it any farther, huh?" I smile a lopsided, evil grin, making the tiny tribute before me shake, "What's your name?" I ask crudely.

She winces, and stutters massively, "C-C-C-Corta L-Lee. I'm from D-District T-T-Three." Three, eh? She _could _be proven useful if she weren't so damn loud.

When I glance back over at the others- who were huddled around Venicitiy and Blondie- I saw that she was barely even putting up a fight anymore, that's when I noticed the lightly sun-kissed limbs, which were severed from their body. Corta seemed to see them too, and turned green with sickness before I brought my arm around her and, in one fluid motion, cracked all of her ribs on one side, and her spine. I dropped her limp body on the blood-stained ground like a ragdoll, and, not even two seconds after, a boom resounded throughout the arena- signalling death once more.

"NO! Corta!" Blondie and the redheaded kid screech out. Venicitiy drives one of her two daggers into her chest, while the other slits Blondie's throat. Another cannon.

"He's getting away!" Thalia shouts, as the kid from Five dashes off with little supplies he and his allies had. We don't even try to get him.

"That's alright. I'll get him later."

**Riley Wolf**

I lay on the cool, cave floor, just like I did at home when I would go to sleep- curled in a ball, all nice and cozy. Melodie, my sweet little ally, snacked on one of the little desert-dwelling birds I hunted last night. It wasn't _that_ hard of a catch, being able to run on all fours makes hunting _so_ much easier, take it from me.

_Boom!_ My ears perked up, and I rose my head from the ground. A couple of seconds later, _boom!_ Another! These loud noises are hurting my ears! Owie!

I let out a loud howl, "Aouww-!" Melodie's hand quickly clamps over my mouth.

"Sh! Riley!" She scolds me in a whisper, "The others will find us!" My brow furrows and I scratch my head with my paw. Melodie's told me it's my 'hand' and not a paw, but I'm _pretty_ sure I know what a paw is.

Suddenly, I hear someone. Immediately, I sit up straight and face the direction where they're at. My muscles tense and I let out a low growl. Melodie hops up and loads her slingshot, aims, and fires it. There's a _klink_-ing sound, and then someone shouts out in pain. That's when I stand up straight and take Melodie into a hug, "You did it!" I shout, "You got somebody!"

But she just _had _to go and be a party-pooper and make me be quiet, which was very hard. I set her down after that.

That's when a boy with dark hair and a girl with big, green eyes and sharp nails climbed up a drop-off. They were all dirty and stuff. Sharp-nails-girl looked a lot like a cat… Catgirl… Grrr… I let out a bark, trying to scare her off.

"RILEY! Shut up!" Melodie demanded in her high voice. Catgirl just looked at me, it wasn't a very nice look.

That's when she lunged, and I took the opportunity to barge into her.

**Author's note: Soooo... How'd you like it?:3 Was it good? I'm sorry I had to kill off those three, wonderful tributes! T^T I hate doing this, because I become too attached to them allD:**

**Alive Tributes: Thalia, Alabaster, Cameron, Venicitiy, Breandan, Kellmer, Morphine, Gardenia, Riley, Kitsch, Jaylan, Poppy, Bull, Ivy, Isaac, Melodie  
**

**Dead Tributes: Melanie, Corta, Phin, Cubix, Blazene, Joseph, Rhine  
**

**Sad endingD: And the first career tribute to go was dear Melanie, whom was somewhat dear to my heart because she comes from District Two, where Clove and Cato live:3 Well, I don't think there's much else I need to say except to please review and come back for more!^-^  
**

**~Adrienne~  
**


	14. furieux

**Hi guys!^-^ Before I start, happy Fourth of July to my readers here in the US!:L And happy fourth of July to my out of country readers. Get it? 'Cause it's still the fourth day of July everywhere... oh jeeze... Ehem. Anywho, I have a new poll on my profile, I just put it up yesterday. Now, I'm going to put up the sponsor points!:D I have yet to give anyone sponsor gifts, remember, it _just_ might help your tribute win!(;  
**

**************************************Hikari Darkness: 0 pts. - EnnixiaMaeLin: 51 pts. - Weirdness-is-cool: 20 pts. - Iwasscreaming LONG LIVE: 48 pts. - Sallen: 46 pts. - CodyOnTheBounce T.V.: 41 pts. - jblonde123: 12 pts.- Munamana: 1620pts. - M30WHelloKellyM30W: 18 pts. - Desdemona312: 26 pts. - Rue's sis: 24 pts. - the silence will fall: 20 pts. - ChibiPanda315: 14 pts. - vivaciousvesper739: 12 pts. - shadowboy8456: 12 pts. - Sarah303: 12 pts. - Sam: 4 pts.  
**

**************************************Disclaimer: Don't own THG, now, onto the story;)  
**

**Chapter fourteen- furieux**

**Venicitiy Corbinette**

"That was fun!" I brag to Thalia, who just scoffs and rolls her eyes. She just _wishes_ she could be as good as I, Venicitiy Corbinette. I wipe the blood off of both my daggers and store them back on my belt. As for the blood on my hands… There's nothing I can really do about that.

'_I wonder what Adlele is doing back at home…' _I think, _'Is she cheering me on? She better be!' _

As we walk through the so called 'woods', I begin to feel dead. There is no wind, the air is heavy with humidity and heat. Sweat is pouring down my face, not to mention my back, too. Gross.

"This heat is ridiculous!" I whine, "When are we gonna find shade? I'm _tired_."

"Shut _up_ Ven!" Thalia explodes, "We're all tired too! But we aren't complaining!" She shouts. I see Alabaster chuckle right behind her.

I pull my dagger back out, in case she were to attack me. I roll my eyes as we go on our hunt for more tributes.

**Kitsch Hirsch**

My cat-like reflexes kick in. _This_ was something I was styled for.

Right before Riley knocks me down, I whip two knife blades at him. One lands in his shoulder, the other in his thigh. There's a slight yelp before he knocks into my frame. With my elongated nails, I scratch the side of his face, and, in return, he digs his sharp teeth into my forearm, both of us were bleeding from our detriments now, him more than I. In a quick motion, using the extra muscle and tissues in my legs, I jumped out from underneath him and mentally thank the surgeons who gave me these feline 'adaptations' in the Capitol years prior. Neither of our allies said anything. A small smile played at my lips as I land out of a tucked flip, crouched, and prepared to strike back if need-be.

I laugh, darkness holding tight at the corners of it, and draw out three more blades, holding them between my fingers. Behind me, I hear Riley getting back up from being slightly stunned. I hop on top of a rock with my lithesome ability, landing right above Melodie Dunne, who seems too shocked to move. Riley rushes over to the high rock I stand upon, standing in-between Melodie and I. It's not like I'm after her, it's _him_ I'm going for.

Blindly, I threw one of the blades behind me, downward, hoping for the best. I knew I had hit him spot-on when he let out a short, sharp, squall. My leg was yanked out from underneath me, catching me slightly off guard as I tumbled backwards onto Riley. He pinned me down against the cool and slightly moist ground. This kid was an animal! Literally! Low growls escaped his throat, obvoiusly directed at me. I struggle with my arms, trying to break free. If only I had added muscle there… Aha!

With all my might, I twisted my legs out from beneath his animalistic hold and pushed him off of me, sending him backwards into the boulder I was originally on. His head drooped, and I thought that maybe I was finished here. But a low groan escaped his lips as he pulled himself back up.

"Not finished?" I inquire. Again, I'm charged at. I simply spin out of the way with ease while Riley pushes past me. This whole fight has been a dance, hasn't it? Hm.

"Come here doggy! Good boy!" I taunt. Another growl rips through his throat. As soon as he got close enough, I reached my 'cat-claws' out- and he ran straight into them, face first. The first thing I heard was a crying-whimpering sound. The kind dogs make when they're injured or upset. The second thing I noticed was the gouged eye, laying on the floor in front of me. I gaped at it in shock, something I rarely did. Marco stared at it in horror, and Melodie let out a terrified shriek. Riley just lay sprawled out in the ground, howling in pain. I smile sadly. Is this what the Capitol wants us to do…? Do they want me to take out countless children years younger than I am? Eighteen is too young to become a mass murderer, in fact, even _twelve_ is way too young.

"Come, Marco, let's go before he comes to his senses…" I say quietly. He picks up our little belongings, and we're on our way.

**Bull Fields**

"This is a lot better! Thanks Jaylan!" Poppy says happily. I look down at my clothes, they were all dirty and such. This'll cover us up fer sure! Them Career tributes ain't gonna get us now! I look back at Breandan, who's used-to-be blue shirt, is now a muddy brown.

The four of us sit under a bare tree, tryin' to relax in case somethin' happened where we would hafta run, but the sun's beatin' down on us and it's just too damn hot.

Poppy was layin' on her stomach, head down, and not movin' too much, "We need to find water…" She points out.

Jaylan nods, "We do, otherwise we'll all die from dehydration." …Big words again… Wait! I think I remember that word… yeah! It means somethin' don't have enough water! …Oh, that'd be bad…

"Bull and I could go find some…" Breandan says.

Poppy shakes her head, "No, what if the careers, or any other tributes for that matter, found us? Then we'd be toast! One of you guys have to stay here. Why not Jaylan and Bull go? That would work!"

We think about it. And think… And think… Sure, why not give it a go?

"Fine." I tell her, "But I ain't sayin' we're gonna find water."

She nods with a smile on her little face, "I know, just try."

"Just try."

**Author's note****: _IMPORTANT!:_ One thing before the death toll, AshleyandSethAlwaysandForever and I were talking like, a week and a half ago, and were thinking about writing a partnership story, Hunger Games of course. I was wondering if you guys would like that? It would be another SYOT, of course, but the form will be on the profile (we'll probably make a seperate account for it) and we'll only accept them if they're sent in via PM, all review-tributes will most likely be deleted for the sake of the story(: It all depends on how Ash feels about writing. I'll probably write the pre-game chapters, and she'll write the chapters in the arena. Trust me, if you like my writing, you'll love hers(; Hehehe**

**Alive Tributes: Thalia, Alabaster, Cameron, Marco, Venicitiy, Breandan, Kellmer, Morphine, Gardenia, Riley, Kitsch, Jaylan, Poppy, Bull, Ivy, Isaac, Melodie  
**

**Dead Tributes: Melanie, Corta, Phin, Cubix, Blazene, Joseph, Rhine  
**

**That's all for now, if you like the story collab idea, leave your thoughts in your review! Thanks! Oh, and don't forget to sponsor a tribute!:D  
**

**~Adrienne~  
**


	15. Just this once

**Oh God... I'm just getting over the fact that I got mindfucked by my good ol' friend, SallenXD Seriously though! If you must, check out her story, the 73rd Annual Hunger Games:3 'Tis really good, and I have a tribute in it. Go Amethyst (even though I already know the winner!XD)! Anywho, onto the sponsor points! Now, I must thank Sallen for sponsoring a certain tribute!^-^ The little creeper won't get his gifts until next chapter, but I thank you!:D So, -32 points, since you did the bread + canteen combo AND a minor weapon:3 also, could you please specify what kinda minor weapon? Thank youuu!:D  
**

******************************************EnnixiaMaeLin: 51 pts. - Weirdness-is-cool: 20 pts. - Iwasscreaming LONG LIVE: 52 pts. - Sallen: 14 pts. - CodyOnTheBounce T.V.: 41 pts. - jblonde123: 12 pts.- Munamana: 1620pts. - M30WHelloKellyM30W: 18 pts. - Desdemona312: 26 pts. - Rue's sis: 24 pts. - the silence will fall: 20 pts. - ChibiPanda315: 14 pts. - vivaciousvesper739: 12 pts. - shadowboy8456: 12 pts. - Sarah303: 12 pts. - Sam: 4 pts.**

**Chapter fifteen- Just this once**

**Alabaster Rhoan**

We've been walking for hours now, in fact, so long, that the sun's already high in the sky, actually, way past noon. Probably about four. My mace drags behind me in the powdery earth, creating a brown cloud behind me. It's just… so hot. There are no other words to describe this feeling. When I volunteered for the Games, I didn't think that the arena would be this bad. Although, I'd much rather have this arena over last year's…

As I look to the right, I see Bull and a few of his allies. One of which, is Poppy, his district partner. My heart falters for a slight second before I realize that I need to keep walking and catch back up to the pack.

When I make it back to my spot next to Thalia, she raises an eyebrow. If there's one person I trust in these Games, it's her. Coming from the same district, that builds the beginning of my trust. But the fact that she's actually understanding is what makes it better.

"What did you see?" She whispers lowly.

I look up ahead, to make sure Cameron and Ven aren't listening in on us. That would be horrific.

"I saw Bull and his group. Don't tell Cameron though, there was a certain… _girl_ there." I try not to make it obvious that I have a weak spot for her, but it came out slightly otherwise.

A small, devious yet joking smile crosses her rosy lips, "I see how it is. You got bitten by the 'love but', haven't you, you silly boy?" Her voice was still at a whisper. Boy? I'll have her know my birthday is actually tomorrow, that brat! I hope I make it that long… I mentally smack myself, _'Of course I will!'_ I tell myself.

I roll my eyes, "Say what you want, but this is the only time I'm sparing someone, take note. Oh, and I'm older than you anyway, Thalia." I remark.

It was Thalia's turn to roll her eyes, her perfect eyebrows raised, "Whatever you say…"

**Gardenia Darold**

As I sit in the tree, keeping watch over Ivy's pack, I can't help but think about why neither of us have gotten sponsors. I'm _starving_ for crying out loud! Just a half loaf of bread will be good enough, I wouldn't mind! Gah! I throw one of the two small battle axes I found lying on the ground earlier on our hike. It hits the tree across from me with a great _smack! _The throw let out some much held-up anger and stress, and, to say the truth, it felt oddly nice.

Below me, I hear shuffling and a panting sound. On the ground, walking tiredly, was Kellmer, that little son of a bitch from Five. He helped that girl from Nine escape. The only evidence that we'd ever met up was a nice-sized bump on my head, which bruised and, as of now, healing slowly, surprisingly. Usually bruises last much longer, but, no matter. I tightly hold one axe in my hand, prepared to strike out and attack the redhead. Kellmer is also holding his metal rod, his weapon of choice, which, may I add, is a shitty one.

I brush a thin piece of my brown hair away from my face, drenched in sweat. My pulse is pounding with adrenaline, and a grin is on my face. My eyes don't leave his slow-moving figure. He'll pass out from dehydration soon, by the way he's walking. He's extremely tired.

That's when I jump.

When I land, I collide hard onto his limp body, immediately knocking him to the ground. The fifteen-year old is thrashing wildly under my hold.

"Stop moving, you idiot! You're making it harder for both of us!" I complain. A sharp, hollow sound resonates through the area as a pain fills my head. I roll off of him and Kellmer pulls himself up. Ignoring the splitting headache, I stand and blindly whip my axe around, only to be rewarded with a sickening crunch and then pure silence. When I come to my senses and stop seeing stars, I see the disconnected hand on the ground, blood still spurting from it. I look back up at Kellmer, who seems to be just now calculating as to what just happened mere moments ago. Then, a loud, delayed, pain-filled cry exits his mouth as he uses his one hand to violently and frenziedly swing his rod around, hitting me repeatedly on the arms and shoulders, but missing my face and head.

"You'll pay!" He shouts, absolute disgust on his features. He still continues to beat me with his weapon, which will only leave red marks and bruises in the end. With each lashing he gives me, Kellmer receives another axe-swipe. One hits him in the thigh, another in his side, barely making an entrance. I finally get fed up and _whack!_ With that, my axe goes through his abdomen. Kellmer pales, and peers down at his new wound, my axe still in his stomach. His stump of what used to be his hand sways at his side, and the other hand rests where the wooden handle meets the metal of the axe. A sickening smile plays at my lips, and he falls back. Kellmer's down. Not yet dead, but in severe, burning, hellish pain.

"You… bitch…" He coughs up blood and is still. A large, loud boom follows. His green eyes still look up at me, franticness and pure anger wedged inside. His pale, slightly sunburnt skin contrasts to the bright red blood around his lips. I yank my axe from his dead body and climb back up my tree, just as a hovercraft plucks him off the arid ground.

**Ivy Fields**

Just as I shoot my arrow at the hare, a cannon fires in the not-too-far distance. I hope it wasn't Gardenia's, I need her if I get double-teamed, which, in this case, is pretty plausible considering all of the other alliances.

A flock of birds fly away from a tree at the sudden noise. Small little black birds, taking flight. It reminds me of my hunting days back home. Every Saturday and Sunday were reserved for hunting. Whatever I would catch, I'd bring to Ragweed and I would eat dinner there, sometimes in the company of Poppy.

I walk over to the dead animal and pull the arrow from it's small body and begin walking back to camp. Whoever that tribute was, I hope their killer isn't nearby…

**Author's note: R.I.P. Kellmer, you loverly little ginger. You're always in our hearts, you adorable boy, youD: I had to do it. I'm sorry! Pleasedon'tkillme! T-T O-Onto the death toll now...**

**Alive Tributes: Thalia, Alabaster, Cameron, Marco, Venicitiy, Breandan, Morphine, Gardenia, Riley, Kitsch, Jaylan, Poppy, Bull, Ivy, Isaac (Little Creeper:3), Melodie  
**

**Dead Tributes: Melanie, Corta, Phin, Kellmer(Sadface!), Cubix, Blazene, Joseph, Rhine  
**

**Also, about the partnership story, I'm glad you two like the idea!^-^ I have to talk to Ash about it, since she just got back from vacation yesterday and I haven't seen her yet. But I think it might work. Once we start to get things underway, I'll PM you if you'd like:3 Okie dokie, I think that's it. Uhm, I hope you liked this depressing chapter... Bye!^-^  
**

**~Adrienne~  
**


	16. Been turnin' gears

**********************************************Hello again!^-^ IMPORTANT!: Ashley and I talked last night, and we WILL be writing the partnership story. So that'll be coming out this year. We WILL have it on a separate account, so once we get that set up, I'll PM those of you who'd like to read the story. It WILL be and SYOT, but the form will be on the profile, and tributes will only be accepted through PM, just so we're clear on that:D There will be a small space of time in-between after the end of Desert Heat and the beginning of that new story so we can use that small window of time to plan and such, which is when we'll be accepting tributes. So, now that I thin I've covered everything, let's talk Sponsor points. There have been two more sponsors since the last chapter, I believe. Don't worry, your tributes will get the gifts(:  
**

**********************************************EnnixiaMaeLin: 51 pts. - Weirdness-is-cool: 20 pts. - Iwasscreaming LONG LIVE: 36 pts. - Sallen: 18 pts. - CodyOnTheBounce T.V.: 41 pts. - jblonde123: 12 pts.- Munamana: 4 pts. - M30WHelloKellyM30W: 18 pts. - Desdemona312: 26 pts. - Rue's sis: 24 pts. - the silence will fall: 20 pts. - ChibiPanda315: 14 pts. - vivaciousvesper739: 12 pts. - shadowboy8456: 12 pts. - Sarah303: 12 pts. - Sam: 4 pts.**

**********************************************Disclaimer: After that ridiculously long note, here's the chapter!:D I don't own THG.  
**

**Chapter sixteen- Been turnin' gears**

**Marco Quarry**

I sit crosslegged with my gear sitting in my palm as I try to hatch a plan in my brain. _'Well, if I had more supplies, I could possibly create a weapon of mass destruction, I suppose. Or a trap, which would make it easier to escape. A rope and pulley system? Maybe…'_

Kitsch's white top is splattered with blood from her encounter with Riley Wolf earlier today. The boy's eye was gouged out… It was a scene straight out of a horror story. If I live to win the Games, it'll be a memory that will stick with me forever.

As Kitsch and I relax under the shade of a wide tree trunk, I pull my gear that I had brought into the arena as a token, take one of Kitsch's knife blades, and begin sharpening each individual notch in the gear so that it resembles a shuriken. There's no way I'd be able to get enough gears to create an actual mass-weapon, so why not create a minor weapon from this?

"You should probably drink some water…" Kitsch says in her whispery voice. She hands me the filled canteen, and I gratefully take two sips and screw the lid back on. When I give it back to her, she re-opens it and does the same actions as I did.

"You know," I begin, "We could probably make it to the end, if it weren't for the 'one victor' thing. I mean, I know how to build lethal weapons, you're a kickass fighter, we're a perfect team." Kitsch just shrugs, saying nothing.

I can't help but think what could have been the most amazing alliance if we could've gotten Morphine Andrews to join us. We could have been unstoppable.

Truly unstoppable.

**Morphine Andrews**

_The boy coughs out a red mist of blood straight in my face as I jab the javelin head into his windpipe, and then his chest, directly over his heart. The warm, sticky fluid dribbled down my delicate jawline and splashed into the cracked, dry earth, staining it. The boy's icy, piercing blue eyes widen as I press his body into the sharp, cool stalagmite. A cracking sound echoes throughout the cave, and his cries of pain and pleas for help are like music to my ears. I finish him off by putting my foot on him and exerting as much force as I could possibly muster- I push his body all the way to the floor, making him look like a marshmallow on a stick over a campfire. I let out a chilling laugh and flee the scene._

My eyes flash open and a small smile is upon my snow-white face. What a beautiful dream… I sit up when I hear soft voices further down the cave. …How strange… There wasn't anyone over there late yesterday night when I arrived. Maybe I walked right past them… I mean, I've slept for quite a long time. Judging by the sunlight outside, it's six at night, so, I've slept… Ten hours? That couldn't be right…

I stand up with my precious Angels' canister in hand, and walk over to the big boulder separating me and the voices.

"I say we just stay here until I can get bandages for your eye, Riley. Plus, it gives us shelter from the heat." The brown-haired little pixie-girl from Twelve is here along with her Wolf-like ally. I fiddle with the end of my braid as I eavesdrop on the two tributes. What did she mean by that? Was there a scuffle I slept through?

Sure enough, when I look at Riley, in place of one of his eyes was a deep red hole, blood surrounding it. Melodie looked extremely unnerved by the sight, but tried her best to ignore it.

That's when I thought of my idea. I just have to wait for Melodie to leave…

I waited five, ten, fifteen minutes before she finally got around to going out, leaving Riley by himself to guard their food. Perfect. I silently climbed over the boulder, and used my parkour techniques to make it from one rock to another without being detected. That's when I quickly unscrew the Angels' canister and shake some of the crushed contents on top of the pair's exposed food. Such a foolish, idiotic move on their part. More or so dauntless than anything. Did they think that they could leave their food out and believe it would become untouchable? What a bold play.

I screw the lid back in its place and retreat back to camp, where nothing but the cool, welcoming cave floor awaits me.

**Isaac Stones**

Those spineless tributes have got nothing on me. I mean, seriously. Even the careers can't go as long as I have without water. Since the very beginning of the Games, I've been parched. Every inch of my body sweat out the water in me. I'm becoming dehydrated, and, at this rate, I won't have any sponsors to save-

My thoughts were cut off as a silver parachute attached to a quite large box falls three feet in front of me. I look around. There's no one else nearby, so… is this for me? I open the box and inside, there's a canteen (when I lift it, it's heavy, signifying water is inside), a medium-sized bread loaf, and a oddly-shaped knife in a leather sleeve. Along with those three things was a note that read:

_Hello, Little Creeper. So, you've managed to make it this far, eh? Congrats. I've sent you a fully-filled canteen, loaf of bread, and an Apache Knife- use them wisely._

_~Capitolian Sponsor_

The nerve of the Capitol, calling me a 'Little Creeper' as they put it. Have I been branded this name? Possibly. I guess I'll do as they said- use my items wisely.

**Author's note: First sponsor gift- Sent! Thanks, Sallen, I now have future, brutal plans for our 'Little Creeper' ;) Hehehe- Death toll!**

**Alive Tributes: Thalia, Alabaster, Cameron, Marco, Venicitiy, Breandan, Morphine, Gardenia, Riley, Kitsch, Jaylan, Poppy, Bull, Ivy, Isaac, Melodie  
**

**Dead Tributes: Melanie, Corta, Phin, Kellmer, Cubix, Blazene, Joseph, Rhine  
**

**I think that's about it, until next time, my lovlies!^-^  
**

**~Adrienne~  
**


	17. Sponsor gifts raining down

**Well, hello there!^-^ I would've updated much MUCH sooner if I hadn't gotten caught up in listening/watching Vocaloid PV's and writing chapters for my Smosh fanfic. Please forgive me T-T On another note, there were no reviews for last chapter, which made me kinda sad): Remember: Reviews=happy Otaku Adrienne=MOAR UPDATES!:D  
**

**************************************************EnnixiaMaeLin: 51 pts. - Weirdness-is-cool: 20 pts. - Iwasscreaming LONG LIVE: 36 pts. - Sallen: 18 pts. - CodyOnTheBounce T.V.: 41 pts. - jblonde123: 12 pts.- Munamana: 4 pts. - M30WHelloKellyM30W: 18 pts. - Desdemona312: 26 pts. - Rue's sis: 24 pts. - the silence will fall: 20 pts. - ChibiPanda315: 14 pts. - vivaciousvesper739: 12 pts. - shadowboy8456: 12 pts. - Sarah303: 12 pts. - Sam: 4 pts.**

**************************************************Disclaimer: I don't own THG  
**

**Chapter seventeen- Sponsor gifts raining down**

**Breandan Angler**

Poppy and I have been waiting for Bull and Jaylan to come back, it's getting really late now, and I heard a cannon go off earlier, and my mind began to race. But, I realized that Bull wouldn't go down now. Not this early when we were only at the final sixteen. Plus, he take anyone down if they tried to attack him or Jaylan both.

"No luck…" Jaylan's voice comes from my left. Both Poppy and I immediately turn our heads in that direction, neither of them have anything that they didn't leave here with.

I frown, "It's alright. Maybe we'll get lucky and it'll rain or something." Just as I finished saying that, two separate silver parachutes could be heard fluttering down to earth and landed. One landed by Bull's feet (I can only guess that was for him), and the other in the middle of all of us.

"Sponsors?" Bull wondered aloud. He picks up the gift and opens the box, pulling out a canteen and a loaf of bread, "The canteen's filled." He notes.

Jaylan grabs the other parachuted box and opens it as well, "More water and bread!" He states happily.

"This will keep us going for a few days!" Poppy exclaims. I smile, looking up at the star-dotted night sky. Gosh, I sure hope so. All I need now is a good weapon and maybe, just maybe, I can make it through these Games.

**Riley Wolf**

Melodie left earlier to find somewhere for us to move as soon as we get bandages or something. There weren't any cannons since then, so that's slightly reassuring, but it doesn't mean other tributes haven't gotten to her…

Unexpectedly, the Capitol anthem plays, making me jump and whimper and having my instincts kick in when something would ever surprise me. I sit at the mouth of the cave, or at least try. After I got my eye ripped out, I've been doing things blindly, or, halfway at least.

The first face to appear was Melanie Dusk of Two, surprisingly. She's a career, and from her training score, you would think that she'd last much longer in the Games than two days. After her was Corta Lee, her pale face making the sky a bit brighter. I honestly expected her to die in the bloodbath, but, I digress…

After Corta came Kellmer Mott of Five. Again, I thought he would die earlier, but these Games are _full_ of surprises, aren't they? I scowl at the irony of that statement. The fourth face to come up was Blazene Freer's from District Nine. Three of the weaker tributes died today, probably at the hands of the Careers, no doubt.

I wait for another face to appear, but that seems to be it.

"Well, today was a _very_ interesting day." Claudius says. Damn right… "And we here outside of the arena got to witness quite a great fight!" Nothing but silence. Of course there's no reply, that would be stupid, "Have fun dear tributes. Don't forget to keep playing."

As soon as the sky's black again, my stomach growls. I frown. We don't have much food left, but I think I can take two or three bites, right?

I go back to the camp and take down the dried fruits Melodie had found. There were strange, white ones. …Odd… I shrug it off and eat a few. Not bad. I smile and eat five more before putting them back away.

**Melodie Dunne**

Nothing. Not one single thing I can use for bandages. It would've been nice if there was any moss in the cave, but no. Of course not.

When Claudius Templesmith's voice cut off from the speakers, it was dead-quiet. Not even the desert creatures that normally come out at night to play made a single noise. It was like this during Tori's Games. Even after she died, we still had to watch. It's a mandatory thing, you don't get out of it.

This made my heartrate speed up. What if I die a horrific, bloody death like Tori's? What if Cameron finds me? Or maybe I'll… I'll…

The shaking ground beneath me distracted me from my thoughts. What's going on? The sand shifted under my feet, small tremors rocked the arena. Suddenly, a giant creature popped its head from the ground. No- there was more than one. There were at least four, each a good sixty feet tall. Sand worms. They were giant sand worms, obviously mutts created by the Capitol to stir up the Game a bit.

I don't think I've ever ran this fast in my life.

**Author's note: Dun, dun duunnnnn!:L More sand worms in the next chapter:3 Thanks to my friend, Rebecca, for giving me the mutt ideaXD Also, both sponsor gifts were sent to Jaylan, Bull, and co. :3 Death toll time!**

**Alive Tributes: Thalia, Alabaster, Cameron, Marco, Venicitiy, Breandan, Morphine, Gardenia, Riley, Kitsch, Jaylan, Poppy, Bull, Ivy, Isaac, Melodie  
**

******Dead Tributes: Melanie, Corta, Phin, Kellmer, Cubix, Blazene, Joseph, Rhine**  


******Also, I noticed that before I started writing out the a/n's, this chapter was only 777 words T-T so sorry, next time, the chapter will _definitely_ be longer and more exciting!:D  
**

******~Adrienne~  
**


	18. I don't wanna!

**Ayyye! So, I've been pretty obsessed with Twitter over the past few days:3 I've been trying to come up with a question to ask Smosh all week for Thursday with Lunchtime:P Anyway, some of these lines in Breandan's part are quoted from Toby 'Tobuscus' Turner:L hahaha, you'll probably figure out some of them, considering one of them is the chapter titleXD By the way, thanks Rue's. sis for being a sponsor. I'll subtract the points now so I don't forget:D To the people who haven't reviewed in ages, I'm going to delete your name from the list to save room. If you're reading this, don't worry! I still have your names written down:D  
**

******************************************************Weirdness-is-cool: 20 pts. - Iwasscreaming LONG LIVE: 36 pts. - Sallen: 22 pts. - CodyOnTheBounce T.V.: 45 pts. - Munamana: 8 pts. - Rue's sis: 8 pts.  
**

******************************************************Disclaimer: Don't own THG. Still. D:  
**

**Chapter Eighteen- I don't wanna!**

**Breandan Angler**

The ground rumbles to a crazy level right before a gigantic, dust-colored sand worm explodes from the earth. We grab as many of our belongings as we can before running off and dodging the mutts. One seemed especially trained on us four, it wouldn't give up until it caught at least one of us.

We sprint through the forest, but the worm is right behind us. I can hear the trees snapping and popping under the massive amount of weight. Poppy and I manage to find the same hiding spot in a tree. The vibrations stop, all is silent. Are the mutts gone?

'_Nope.'_ Is all I thought as the worm's tiny, beady, black eye peered through the hole.

'_Oh. My. God. This thing is such an idiot!'_ I thought as it squirmed away. Suddenly, the tree breaks. The exposed sky was the only thing I saw before the worm's head towered above Poppy and I. _'I don't want to die. I don't wanna, I don't wanna, I don't- ahha… I've got to stop it!'_ I sift through the bag, but there's nothing I can use against it.

Poppy is literally in tears on the ground by my feet, she's curled herself into a ball. The next thing I notice is that my feet aren't touching the ground anymore, instead, I'm soaring through the air, and I slam into the white-barked trees. The worm repeatedly slams its tail over my body, and with each time, a new bone cracks and breaks under pressure. I let out tortured screams. The pain is horrible, I can't pick myself up to move out of the way because I'm pretty sure all, if not, a large majority, of my bones were broken.

The last thing I saw before clamping my eyes shut was the worm dipping its head over to take me, to kill me, like what it was commanded to do.

One day I had hoped to get married, to have a family of my own. But I guess that the Capitol had different plans for me…

**Ivy Fields**

"I'm wasting all of my damn arrows!" I shout above the roar of the giant mutt before me. Gardenia keeps trying to hack away at the horrendous creature with her axe. I keep my distance. That thing is unpredictable.

When I launch another arrow at the worm's eye, it makes contact and I can only tell that, if it wasn't before, it's pissed off. It lets out a deep, threatening, booming growl. Gardenia looks up at it, wide-eyed and terrified, before trying to escape. I jump to the side, out of the tan, legless creature's raging path as it chased after my ally. One half of me wondered if whether or not I should chase after her and save her. But another half told me to stay put. To not move and be selfish. To survive.

Everything was silent. There were no vibrations in the ground. Nothing. But only fpr about five seconds. After that, a cannon sounded and suddenly (although I somewhat expected it), another cannon fired. I knew it had to be Gardenia. There was no other escape for her. Well, except to jump out of the way, but that was a fight-or-flight thought. I did it last-minute.

A small pang of hurt strikes my heart, but I push it away as quickly as it had come. No. I would not feel hurt towards someone I barely even knew. In fact, a tiny part of me even hated Gardenia and her arrogance. She thought that she was an almighty warrior, but, in the end, she was taken down. Not by a tribute. Not by a stupid mistake. By a mutt. A creation of the Capitol. A death as low as that does not deserve an applause. Nor does it deserve a moment of silence in her honor. Will there even be anybody waiting for her casket to return home? She's finally joined her parents- wherever they are. Maybe she's happy. In fact, I envy her a tiny bit. She can live at ease and in happiness now.

I get up off of my side and walk to collect my arrows that are salvagable. Surely there's enough to last me a while longer.

With that, I walked in the blistering heat that is the arena. The sun being my only compass. Wherever it takes me, I'll follow suit.

**Isaac Stones**

I clutch my knife tightly in my hand as I wander through the outskirts of the forest. The strange vibrations stopped about ten minutes ago, and right after that, two cannons went off.

Two more tributes are gone. Probably from the loud rumbling. It was probably a mutt. Or _mutts_.

In the distance, I see a figure sprinting. I squint my eyes to catch a better look. It's definitely a tribute, no doubt about that. It wasn't any of the careers, they were smaller than the ones from the group. So it was easy to rule any one of them out.

It was in a split second that I took off running towards the tribute. I didn't know who it was, I didn't care, I just wanted to get this done.

With one arm raised above my head, and the other pumping by my side, I ambushed the tribute, knocking her small, running frame down. It was Melodie Dunne, she was barely in my grasp. Neither of us had much strength anyway. We were both struggling, me, to hold onto her leg and inflict some wound. She, to escape. She was holding some kind of package, it looked like a sponsor's gift.

I quickly stab my Apache knife into her calf muscle. Barely any blood pours out, and I know she must be dehydrated. Melodie lets out another yelp of pain as I drive my knife into her other calf repeatedly. Maybe I will be able to pull it off. Maybe-

My thoughts were cut off when she kicked me in the side of the head, jolting me back a bit and giving her time to pull her body away from me and start limping away as fast as she could.

'_This isn't over…'_ I thought darkly.

**Author's note: Dun Dun DUUUUNNN!XD No, Sallen, this isn't the violent plan I had for our little Creeper. That's a different one;D Hahaha, so yeah. Two people diedT-T But it's okay, because that means we're closer to the end by each chapter:D Uhm, anything else? I don't think so. If I remember, I'll put it in the next chappy.**

**Alive Tributes: Thalia, Alabaster, Cameron, Marco, Venicity, Morphine, Riley, Kitsch, Jaylan, Poppy, Bull, Ivy, Isaac, Melodie  
**

**Dead Tributes: Melanie, Corta, Breandan, Phin, Kellmer, Cubix, Gardenia, Blazene, Joseph, Rhine  
**

**We finally hit the dead-double-digits!XD Am I too excited? Maybe I _am_ from the Captiol... But I'm not as weird as Katy Perry... Sallen. Uh, I think that's it. Bye! Love, the girl who's pissed that Ian Somerhalder beat Justin Bieber for male hottieXD  
**

**~Adrienne~  
**


	19. This one's for you, baby

**Hi guys T^T Ohmygosh, what a depressing day!D: I was reading a Tobuscus fanfiction and... freakingTobygotshotohmygosho thisisaspoilerdon'treaditunlessyoureadthefanfi c!XD Ehem, yes, that was a spoiler. Sorry for the lack of updates. I went to Region 5 gymnastics Super Camp and practiced for a grueling total of 20 hours last weekend, so, yeah, I was pretty dead:P Uhm, is that it? Oh! Mooni's back! Hells yeah!:D You get 8 points because you reviewed 2 prior chapters:3 So I based this chapter title after a BlackBoxTV episode where Toby Turner made an appearance^-^ Lawlz, go watch it!:D  
**

**********************************************************Iwasscreaming LONG LIVE: 40 pts. - Sallen: 26 pts. - CodyOnTheBounce T.V.: 49 pts. - Munamana: 8 pts. - Rue's sis: 12 pts. - Pura(a.k.a. Mooni!): 8 pts.  
**

**********************************************************Disclaimer: Don't own anything here people! Not even the tributes!D:  
**

**Chapter nineteen- This one's for you, baby**

**Thalia Storm**

The sun was close to setting, after a long, hard, and eventful day. Alabaster has been a little _too_ over the moon celebrating his birthday today. Acting like that in the arena will get you killed for sure.

…Speaking of which, where _is_ Alabaster?

"Did Alabaster tell either of you guys where he was going?" I ask the two. Ven shakes her head and Cameron ignores me. As usual.

I just shrug it off and return to examining the food we have, he's bound to return soon. He probably just went off to find some water, I'm sure. We _are_ running out. I mean, he even brought his mace with him, it's not lying around here like we are.

Another cannon blast. My ears perk up. There goes another tribute today. My heart suddenly skips a beat. What if that was Alabaster's? That boy seemed like a friend to me, I wouldn't be able to believe it if it was his…

Venicitiy pouts from her spot on the ground, "All these damn tributes dying and they aren't at the hands of me…" That bitch…

**Alabaster Rhoan**

I swear I just saw a flash of white hair just a moment ago. "I know you're in here, District Six. Come out, come out wherever you are." My mace slowly swings by my side, blood still tipping the ends from kills prior to this moment.

Suddenly, I feel a pushing force against my back, sending me off balance and falling toward the ground. I really can't see anything now, I'm too deep into the cave. The force brushes up against my arm and I feel delicate hands pin me against the stalagmite and a shudder rushes through me. The contact with the cold hands is uncomfortable and inescapable. Whoever this person is, they're unbelievably strong for the size of their dainty hands. Morphine.

Adrenaline pumps through my veins as I feel her nab my mace from my hand and her snow-white hands cradle my face. What does this psychotic bitch think she's doing?

"It's a shame that you're so handsome and in this predicament. You know?" Her voice was light and airy, ghostly even. Her white skin against my tanned skin was a deep contrast. "You're going to die at such a young age. Your birthday is today, correct? What a waste…" Morphine's long nail traces the side of my face. This girl is seriously creeping me out.

I tried to push her off, but let's face it, she's a lot stronger than I gave her credit for. I don't know how well she would do against someone in frontal combat, though. Both of our bodies shifted upwards to the top of the stalagmite, me, leaning against it, and Morphine, who was slowly inching oh so closer to my body, second by second. She was definitely threatening, that was for sure. But something in my brain clicked as she pushed me up closer the the tip of the point growing from the earth. We were both almost standing now, me more than her, but even at this lower angle, Morphine managed to snatch a kiss from my lips.

"…The kiss of death…" She murmured innocently. In one swift movement, I was pressed against the top of the sparkling, dew-covered stalagmite. I could feel the edge pointing in my back. My heart was racing. Why couldn't I move? I'm Alabaster Rhoan for crying out loud! I've trained for moments like this. Morphine's fingertips found my temples on either side of my head and forcefully pressed into them, making me relax a bit.

"Now…" She began, "I've never been the romantic type. But this one's for you, baby." Baby? What?

I was too wrapped up in what she had just said to immediately notice the severe pain in my spine, no, my entire abdomen, now. I let out a delayed scream of torture as my head lolled back in uselessness. Morphine never said anything throughout this entire excruciating process, but her insane laughs fill the damp, underground air. I dropped my mace a long while ago, and she has surprisingly not used it against me quite yet.

I close my eyes and wait for the final blow, but it never comes, instead, when my eyes open, I see Morphine standing above me, red eyes twisted with a slight sadistic look in them.

Silence fills the air as her lips meet mine, and let me say, it was _not_ comfortable. I'm not saying she isn't a good kisser, it's just that with the predicament that's happening at the moment, she couldn't have picked a weirder time. I try not to fight against her, in case she tries to pull something on me, which, I know will occur.

"This won't hurt one bit." She grins evilly as she shoves a sharp rock into my windpipe. Blood splatters everywhere, on her pale face, in her hair, even on the cavern walls. I could feel the red sticky liquid rising through my trachea, my end was coming soon.

The searing pain stops altogether as Morphine stands back, smiling at her dirty work. I can feel my eyes getting heavy, but I keep them open long enough to see an automated silver parachute being directed towards me. It was already opened on contact with the cave floor. A small slice of decadent-looking birthday cake with a white rose made of frosting on top. A note, written in what seemed like blood, said:

'_Happy birthday. This cake was made custom for you. Like you, it's one in a million.' _

"Those… sick Capitolians…" I managed to get out before choking on my own blood.

**Melodie Dunne**

"It'll be over soon, Riley…" I say, petting his hair. His stability is getting worse and worse by the hour. If I wouldn't have left him alone, if I could've taken him with me, if I had stayed here instead of him. All these if's swirl around in my head and I can't help but feel extremely guilty for leaving him unattended. He couldn't have possibly known. The mushrooms blended right in with the food.

His muscles always tense and relax every five or so minutes, and it scares me because I don't know when they'll be his last.

**Author's note: Well, Happy effing birthday Alabaster!:D Morphine was damn brutal with you, buddy-boy!XD But seriously, I don't know where I got Morphine's sadistic kill idea from. I know my friend Rebecca (Alabaster's creator) supplied the stalagmite thingy, but... Damn!**

******Alive Tributes: Thalia, Cameron, Marco, Venicity, Morphine, Riley, Kitsch, Jaylan, Poppy, Bull, Ivy, Isaac, Melodie**

**********Dead Tributes: Alabaster, Melanie, Corta, Breandan, Phin, Kellmer, Cubix, Gardenia, Blazene, Joseph, Rhine**

**********Anything else...? Ohmygosh, I think that's it!:L Hey, if you guys like Tobuscus/Toby Turner, go read the fanfiction 'Gratitude'! It's so freaking amazing! It even made me cryD'X Dammit, edit that part out, Steven! Uh... yeah, bye!  
**

**********~Adrienne~  
**


	20. Thirteen

**********************************************************Hi, sorry I haven't updated!D: It's just that I've been soooo* busy school shopping, getting registered for Sophomore year, and now school started on Wednesday, so the updates won't be as frequent as before. I've got this hardass of a World History teacher, and he gave us our first project on the first day yesterday-.- Thanks Mr. Bumber... Really needed thatX( Anywhoo, here are the sponsor points!:D (Also, Sallen's freaking super-review! O-O)  
**

**********************************************************Iwasscreaming LONG LIVE: 44 pts. - Sallen: 30 pts. - CodyOnTheBounce T.V.: 49 pts. - Munamana: 8 pts. - Rue's sis: 16 pts. - Pura(a.k.a. Mooni!): 8 pts.**

**********************************************************Lastly- Disclaimer: I don't, never will I ever, own THG. (I am never, ever, ever, gonna own the 'Games~) XD  
**

**Chapter twenty- Thirteen**

**Cameron Derell**

A cannon fired a few hours ago, and I knew it was Alabaster's. He'd wandered off in a pretty bad position to ever return alive, or barely alive, for that matter.

As today's faces shine in the sky, I hear Thalia's soft weeping from behind me when Alabaster's face is shown. I roll my eyes at her patheticness. What a joke. Real careers don't just break down and cry in the arena. They just don't.

After Alabaster came Breandan Angler, the boy I thought would've died first thing in the Games, had outlasted the obstacles until today. I bet it was those mutts the Capitol sent on us. They were pretty nasty. Finally, the third tribute that perished today was Gardenia Darold. The scowl on her face forever planted there for the rest of us to see.

To my far right, I see Venicity dip her head low, resting on her knees. She doesn't look very happy with herself, from the limited light I have from the seal in the sky. She fiddles with one of her daggers in her hands, a guilty look on her face. Another sad excuse for a career tribute.

AS the sky goes pitch black for another night, I smirk to myself before lying down to sleep. _'At least _one_ of us here knows what they're doing with their life.'_

**Venicitiy Corbinette**

People, young people, _children_ are dying all around me, and I've been excited for years over these Games? What kind of sick, messed-up world have I been living in to make me oblivious to the horror, the deaths that can't be unseen? Panem. That's my explanation. _'No, you live in a Career district,'_ I thought, _'It was only natural to live with the expectations of winning. It's you against twenty-three others, your odds are slim, yet you've made it this far.'_ A voice told me. I shove it to the back of my brain. I don't want to keep discouraging myself like this, but I'm feel ashamed of myself now for killing innocent people.

It first started when I saw how upset Emiline looked when she was being escorted out the door in our final goodbyes. I had thought nothing of it then, because I was definitely sure that I'd get home quickly. Then I saw how the smaller kids of three, five, and nine looked when we murdered them. I'd ignored it there, too, because my ego was bigger than the sun and then some. The wrecking ball of life hit me when I saw how Alabaster's death affected Thalia. A pang struck my heart and that's when I started to feel like such a monster. We're only kids, not killing machines.

Now everybody in District Four hates me because I've been a mean, catty, stuck-up person all these years. They'll be cheering on _my_ killer when they deliver the final blow. All except for my family and Adlele.

My thoughts were interrupted when a low rumbling could be heard from up above. Just then, a small raindrop splashed onto my face. My thoughts were immediately dragged back to the Games two years ago when it had begun raining and Cyrus Bismarak was drenched in highly acidic water, where he panicked and fell to his death. The crack his neck made… it was so loud… Pretty much everyone in District Four was silent from that moment on throughout the Games. Especially Isabel Odair- but I won't get into those details. Maybe later…

Then it started downpouring. I was contemplating on whether or not I should alert Cameron and Thalia, who left me awake to keep guard. I know about flash floods in deserts. More people die that way than starvation or dehydration when lost in one.

I decided to be a good ally and awake them, in case they did make it out alive somehow- Cameron would definitely come after me and break my neck if I abandoned him before he called it quits. My hands find their arms and I shake them both to their senses, where I then fill them in that, basically, if we don't get a move on, we'll drown. Well… _them_ more specifically than me, because, hah, I'm from District Four. I'm born to swim.

We run, supplies in hand, when I smack heads with another tribute. I'm too knocked-around to figure out who until the world stops spinning. Ivy Fields. We stare each other down, but I don't make a move, trying not to come across as a threat. She holds her arrow lodged into her bow, gripping it with white knuckles, but doesn't let it loose. She kneels there, not even five feet away from me, nudging her head as if saying 'Go ahead'. She obviously sees me as nothing right now. Just wanting to escape like me. I nod and grab my pack, sprinting in the watered-down sand to catch up.

**Author's note: Well, how did you guys like Ven's change of heart?:3 Her creator wanted that, so I decided, why not now?:L Next up is the death tolld *cue funeral bells***

**Alive Tributes: Thalia, Cameron, Marco, Venicitiy, Morphine, Riley, Kitsch, Jaylan, Poppy, Bull, Ivy, Isaac, Melodie  
**

**Dead Tributes: Alabaster, Melanie, Corta, Breandan, Phin, Kellmer, Cubix, Gardenia, Blazene, Joseph, Rhine  
**

**Oh, btw, Sallen, I think I know where you got the inspiration for Isaac now o.e (It's Children of the Corn, isn't it? Baaah!) So... I don't think I'm forgetting anything... Oh! Follow me on twitter if you guys have one!:D Dreen_The_Smosher or Dreeeeeeen :) wheeeeee!:D  
**

**~Adrienne~  
**

**********************************************************Iwasscreaming LONG LIVE: 40 pts. - Sallen: 26 pts. - CodyOnTheBounce T.V.: 49 pts. - Munamana: 8 pts. - Rue's sis: 12 pts. - Pura(a.k.a. Mooni!): 8 pts.**


	21. Sagittarius

**********************************************************Hihi!:D So, Shane Dawson followed me on Twitter, no biggie!XD Ehem, sorry, I'm trying to up the mood before I make you guys all wanna kill yourselves (or me, for that matter). 'Cause after this chapter, it's going to be so depressing. There will be two deaths in this chapter, sad to say. No spoilers! You'll have to read the chappie:P  
**

**********************************************************Iwasscreaming LONG LIVE: 44 pts. - Sallen: 34 pts. - CodyOnTheBounce T.V.: 49 pts. - Munamana: 8 pts. - Rue's sis: 16 pts. - Pura(a.k.a. Mooni!): 8 pts.**

**********************************************************Disclaimer: I don't own THG  
**

**Chapter Twenty One- Sagittarius**

**Ivy Fields**

I watch as Venicitiy Corbinette of District Four sprints after her allies. I don't know what made me let her go, I should have shot her when I got the chance. But I didn't. Instead, I let her run off.

Ashamed of myself that I let a potential murderer of mine escape, I sat under a tree as the monsoon-like storm poured gallons of water per second throughout the arena. It was quite calming, really, and I was almost sure I was going to fall asleep until I heard a crash and muttered curse words. A tree broke. With someone camping out in its limbs. I could've gotten killed and I wouldn't have even known what it was!

I whip myself around to face my district partner, Isaac Stones. My arrow was ready and loaded. I didn't care if he was from my district. He was going to stab me in the back… literally.

That was all it took to get me to let it go. The arrow whizzed out of my grasp as immediately as I had set it in the bowstring. No regrets. It had been off a few inches to where I originally wanted it to hit, which meant it had landed in his shoulder. I wanted the heart. In mere milliseconds, his thirteen-year old brain processed that I was trying to kill him. It proposed the thought that maybe Isaac wasn't trying to kill me, but perhaps just following me like a little shadow for food.

But the way he's looking at me now- an expression that is so eerily similar to the past contestants of the Hunger Games who decided to play. Who _wanted_ to play the Capitol's sick games…

I pushed those thoughts back and locked them away in the deepest corner of my mind and grabbed another arrow from my quiver, getting up. No time was wasted as I quickly climbed up the tree and hopped from limb-to-limb. But Isaac was hot on my heels, I could hear him. _Feel_ him, almost.

The treeline ended up ahead, after that, it was miles and miles of nothing but desert. This was my only chance. The bowstring left my hand, sending the pointed arrow to dig itself in his chest. Isaac stares at me, then down at the arrow lodged in his heart. Stares at me again, then back once more at the chaos I've created.

His face pales and that evil semi-grin he had on his face drops. And so does his body. The tree branches don't catch him, they let Isaac fall through and hit the nearby ground. His cannon blasts and I shimmy down the tree to take his knife. Don't want him doing anything ridiculous in the afterlife…

Before moving on, I look up at the extremely overcast sky and mouth, 'I'm sorry' to the district-goers back at home. Ragweed wouldn't be disappointed with me, but he sure as hell wouldn't be happy about it.

**Melodie Dunne**

When the cannon made its appearance, I thought it was Riley's.

But then he took a deep breath, filling me with relief.

I know he'll be gone today. It's just that obvious. I haven't left his side today, I didn't want to leave him alone. That's what caused all of this mess in the first place.

I'm such a terrible person.

Under my touch, I can feel his muscles twitching. It's something that terrifies me, and I know I need to keep strong so he can die a peaceful death. To keep myself from crying, I sing a family-favorite song from my early years, specifically when I was five.

"_You escape like a runaway train_

_Off the tracks and down again_

_And my heart's beating like a steamboat tugging_

_All your burden, on my shoulder…"_ I look down at Riley, a sad smile crossing my lips. _'Don't cry…'_

I know I'm definitely not the world's best singer, and my cracking voice proves my point. But I still sing for his sake,_"And in the mourning, I'll rise_

_In the mourning, I'll let you die_

_In the mourning, all my worry_

_And now there's nothing but time that's wasted_

_And words that have no backbone_

_Now it seems like the whole world's waiting_

_Can you hear the echoes fading?"_

A teardrop slides down my cheek, but I keep smiling.

"_And in the mourning, I'll rise_

_In the mourning, I'll let you die_

_In the mourning, all my sorry…"_

"_And it takes all my strength_

_Not to dig you up, from the ground in which you lay_

_The biggest part of me_

_You were the greatest thing_

_And now you're just a memory to let go of~" _He smiles a sickly smile, still the same Riley he's been this whole time in the arena.

"_In the mourning, I'll rise_

_In the mourning, I'll let you die_

_In the mourning, all my sorry…"_A soft, barely audible sigh escapes Riley's lips and his one good eye slides shut. I let out a haunting, shrill scream of utter sadness and Riley's death toll resounds through the arena. His head still lay in my lap, face unmoving. The rainstorm outside added an even more depressing setting to what was already happening.

I shouldn't get so attached to people I don't even know.

**Author's note: *Sniffle* This... chapter... I'd like to thank Paramore for writing this song, and yes, it is obviously _not_ mine-.- I've noticed that I use Paramore lyrics/song titles for a lot of things in my stories:3 Anyway, how mad at me are you? How depressed/sad are you?D': I really wanted to touch down with everyones feels this chapter:T Death toll-**

**Alive Tributes: Thalia, Cameron, Marco, Venicitiy, Morphine, Kitsch, Jaylan, Poppy, Bull, Ivy, Melodie  
**

**Dead Tributes: Alabaster, Melanie, Corta, Breandan, Phin, Kellmer, Cubix, Riley, Gardenia, Blazene, Joseph, Isaac, Rhine  
**

**I'm so sorry, Sallen!DX I had to do it sometime soon!:( And I didn't know what to do with our little creeper!D: Don't worry, any of the truly beloved tributes will get a memoriam chapter after I finish the story, I promise. As for Riley's death scene... It was so sad... I can't even think of a better word to describe because I'm so pissed with myself for killing him off!DX *slaps self* Sigh... Okay. I guess that's it. Remember to leave a review, follow me on twitter ( Dreeeeeeen) or PM me if you have any questions or wanna sponsor a tribute. Byee!  
**

**~Adrienne~  
**

**********************************************************Iwasscreaming LONG LIVE: 44 pts. - Sallen: 30 pts. - CodyOnTheBounce T.V.: 49 pts. - Munamana: 8 pts. - Rue's sis: 16 pts. - Pura(a.k.a. Mooni!): 8 pts.**


	22. Christmas

**Warning! This chapter is NOT, I repeat NOT for the faint of heart. If you get sick at just the mention of blood... ehhh, you might wanna hold onto your barf-bags:T Also, thank you to the people that voted!:D I got a total of 6 votes, and the most voted one was: Quick and painless. So yeah! The tribute that gets killed by the victor last will die quickly:3 So... I feel like there was something else I was supposed to tell you guys!DX Ugh, I'll remember eventually:P Sponsor points time! Don't forget, you can still sponsor!:D It may help your tribute last longer!  
**

**************************************************************Iwasscreaming LONG LIVE: 48 pts. - Sallen: 38 pts. (you and your awesome reviews!XD) - CodyOnTheBounce T.V.: 49 pts. - Munamana: 12 pts. - Rue's sis: 16 pts. - Pura(a.k.a. Mooni!): 8 pts.**

**************************************************************Disclaimer: Don't own THG.  
**

**Chapter Twenty Two- Christmas  
**

**Marco Quarry**

Kitsch has been sitting up in the tree ever since the rainstorm began. She knows she's not a cat, obviously, but she has previously stated that she did not like water, like a feline. Although, I wouldn't really blame her, after the Gamemakers pulled the acid rain on those tributes that one year… Yikes…

I look up at Kitsch, her eyes are wide and alert, looking at the area behind me. My body turned around and my eyesight met to where her gaze was facing. The careers. The only three left. Thalia, Cameron and Venicitiy. Cameron leads the triad proudly and menacingly, holding a spear in his hand. Both girls lag behind, figures slumping sadly just a little, either of them were still holding weapons. I hold on tightly to my make-shift shuriken as they saunter closer. They've seen us. Kitsch and I both know it. Unwillingly, she hops down and stands still next to me.

When the careers finish making their way over, the three of them pause before us, totally relaxed. They act like none of us were in the Hunger Games.

"You found us. What took so long?" Kitsch teases. I would've expected Venicitiy to lunge at her for the remark, or at least a change in facial expression. But she did nothing.

Cameron takes a small step forward, "You've been evading us."

I scoff, "At least we weren't pulling the coward kill-and-run technique. How many times has that been used before? Like, every set of Games before this?"

"Excuse me? You wanna say that again, Three? Try me." He goes from his relaxed posture to a more aggravated stance.

I should probably not say anything else, but my brain was on a roll. "I'm _pretty_ sure you heard me. Don't tell me you're one of those stereotypical people who are totally jacked and has a tiny brain. I could outdo you in a lot of things." I knew I shouldn't be talking shit about Cameron, especially when the guy is a good handful of inches taller than me.

He grabbed the neckline of my pale yellow shirt and lifted me up off of the ground, his face in an extremely uncomfortable range for my liking, "Who the _hell_ do you think you are, District Three?" All of my confidence drained out of me as I dangled there in Cameron's iron grip.

I squeezed my eyes shut, in order to escape reality. To pretend I wasn't staring death right in the face. Then I took my bravery and swung my leg, my foot making extremely hard contact with Cameron's kneecap. I felt myself being dropped and I opened my eyes, without thinking, I skillfully threw my shuriken at the first thing I saw. It hit Thalia Storm dead-center of her throat. Panic filled her eyes as her hands grasped for the metallic star, trying to rip it out. When she retrieved it, blood spurted out from her wound.

I didn't mean it. It was only self defense, I swear…

But as Thalia's limp body fell to the ground, she gave me a look. Not one of hatred, but one that looked like she actually felt sorry for me. She _knew_ I didn't mean it. That it was all an accident. She knew.

The four of us stared down at the bleeding beauty in horror. Well, three of us did. Cameron stood like a rock, expression unmoving.

A loud boom resounded through the area. She was dead.

And I killed her.

I'm so sorry, Thalia. I didn't mean to.

**Poppy Nevenson**

The three of us had stayed quiet ever since Breandan was killed by the sand worms. We barely spoke, only to tell one another where we were going or to wake someone up when it was time to switch shifts.

It was nighttime now, and it was my shift. I sat against the damp tree, letting the dark gray clouds dump the water on me. Streams of rain cascade down my face.

A crack of a tree branch went off, getting me to my feet immediately. I held the knife close to me, ready to swipe at the enemy. That's when she dropped down in front of me, blood entirely staining both of her hands and dying her hair a soft pink- red mixed with white. Morphine Andrews was standing in front of me, and she's already killed one, if not, more, tribute.

"Why?" I ask.

A sickly-sweet, soft smile presses on her lips, "Why. It's such a small word, but it means so much. It could be a pressing question. A forced interrogation. So many things. What I want to know is why your allies were idiotic enough to let you guard them…?"

"…." I was silent.

Before I could blink, I was knocked down. Morphine's lightweight body was on top of me, but she was pressing her fingers into my temples, making me limp. I couldn't do anything as she rendered me helpless on the muddy ground. I couldn't do anything as she used my knife against me and plunged it into my stomach. I couldn't do anything.

I didn't scream, I didn't shout, not a whimper came from my throat. But I _did_ however, begin to feel ill when I saw the sight of my blood. She was ripping me from the inside-out. I could see my insides. I should _not_ see my insides. A faint feeling was starting to take over again as I saw Morphine paint herself with my blood. It was absolutely and positively horrifying. It was disgusting.

"Let's decorate the tree! It's like Christmas!" Morphine chirped. The girl's mental. She's lost it, although it was quite indefinite on whether or not she had any sanity in the first place.

"First your liver…" Pain. Stabbing pain from the inside, "Now let's put the garland on!~"

I blacked out. I _made_ myself black out so I couldn't see this terrifying Christmas tree that Morphine had created. And I was glad that I never woke up.

**Author's note: *blarrrgh* Ehem... Okay, now, back to your regularly scheduled reading of my lame a/n. I swear to God, it was a good thing that I switched the rating to 'M', if you already haven't noticed. Sallen did. She's got eagle-eyesXD So... Uhm... yeah. That's about it, I believe. asdfghjkl; bye? If I forgot something, I'll probably put it in a separate a/n-chapter-thingy...**

**Alive Tributes: Cameron, Marco, Venicitiy, Morphine, Jaylan, Kitsch, Bull, Ivy, Melodie  
**

**Dead Tributes: Alabaster, Thalia, Melanie, Corta, Breandan, Kellmer, Phin, Cubix, Riley, Gardenia, Joseph, Blazene, Poppy, Isaac, Rhine  
**

**~Adrienne~  
**


	23. Missing Out

**Hello, hello:) So, this week has been... interesting. So I have a family reunion on Sunday (which also happens to be Anthony Padilla's birthday:D), which means you're getting this shitty 285-word-long chapter. Yeah, I know. I'm a horrible personDX But I've been in a really crappy mood today. It all started in 1st hour when our principal told us over the announcements that one of our fellow students had died last night. He didn't tell us how, but we all figured out that he was shot. The violence in my town is ridiculous. We're getting this bad rep and it's only because of _those_ people who are doing things like this!:( Okay, sorry about my rant. I'm done. Time for sponsor points!:) Also, we're at the final 8, meaning I might take Sallen's route and do family interviews!:D (Also, go check out her story and root for my character, Amethyst!:) Go Ammie!XD Tell her Adrienne sent you:L) But yes- the Games are going to come to a close in 7 tributes time. So this means that once we hit the final 5, you will no longer be able to use sponsor points! I'm sorry, but it has to be done!:/  
**

******************************************************************Iwasscreaming LONG LIVE: 52 pts. - Sallen: 42 pts. (you and your awesome reviews!XD) - CodyOnTheBounce T.V.: 49 pts. - Munamana: 12 pts. - Rue's sis: 20 pts. - Pura(a.k.a. Mooni!): 8 pts. - snoozinghamster: 4 pts. (btw, thank you!:D YOU'RE awesome!^-^)  
**

**Chapter Twenty Three- Missing Out**

**Jaylan McCarty**

There were sounds of a horrible struggle going on somewhere, and I wasn't sure if it was in my dream or in real life. Whoever it was, they weren't screaming. Just fighting. It sounded horrid.

My eyes opened to a pitch-black arena. I could vaguely feel a warm stickiness on the right side of my face and partially down my arm. I shot straight up. It was Poppy's turn to keep guard. Something's happe-

Morphine stood on her tiptoes, gracefully decorating one of the entirely parched trees with Poppy's internal organs. Right now, she was finishing laying out a set of intestines. It was absolutely, positively distgusting. A look full of childish happiness and glee spread across Morphine's blood-stained face. I glance over at Poppy's now-mutilated body. Her innocent fifteen-year old face was untouched and unscathed. Not even her own blood touched it.

It was that moment that Morphine had turned around, a look full of surprise on her face.

"Oh! You're awake! Look what I've done with this tree! Isn't it lovely?!~" Her voice sounded so childish and pure- like she doesn't think that what she's just done was bad.

I wasn't upset at Morphine. She didn't know. But I had so much pent-up anger and fury inside me that I just snapped. I pushed myself off of the ground and chucked the nearest weapon, which happened to be the same knife that Morphine killed Poppy with.

It had hit her in her left side. It didn't faze her one bit, either. She just stands there, her joyous smile drops. Morphine pulls out the knife and drops it on the dirt, walking away silently.

What just happened?

**Author's note: **Crappy filler chapter is crappy:P So, I've recently become addicted to Danisnotonfire and AmazingPhil. They'll be the reason I'm not updating, along with Smosh, Shane, Toby, etc. etc... But that's no reason for me to ignore this!DX I'm almost done, also, I have a brand new poll on my profile!:) Check it out and vote, please! It's helping me with my next Hunger Games fic (it'll be an syot, but let's keep that on the DL;))

**Alive Tributes:** Cameron, Marco, Venicitiy, Morphine, Kitsch, Jaylan, Bull, Ivy, Melodie

**Dead Tribtues: **Thalia, Alabaster, Melanie **(SALLEN;))**, Corta, Breandan, Phin, Kellmer **(SALLEN:()**, Cubix, Gardenia, Riley, Blazene, Joseph, Poppy, Isaac, Rhine

So yeah. I think that's about it:L If you have any questions, leave 'em here! I'll answer them next chapter!^-^

~Adrienne~


	24. Die Young

**Hi!^_^ Soooo, how's your weekend so far?:D Mine's been good, Smosh talked to me again on twitter, no biggieXD But they liked my art!:DDDD Ehem, _anyway..._ If any of you lovely people wanna submit a character for my next SYOT (I don't know if Ashley and I will be doing it together, it just depends), then PM with tribute information or reserve a spot!:D _ALL TRIBUTE SPOTS ARE__ OPEN!_ Lawl, haha so yeah:3 if you want a tribute form, don't worry, I'm working on it. SPREAD THE WORD! Also, make them as about as detailed as you can possibly get, kay?(: YO! LAST CHANCES FOR SPONSOR GIFTS ARE COMING SOON! If you haven't sponsored a tribute, and want your favorite to live, EFFING SPONSOR THEM!XD  
**

**********************************************************************Iwasscreaming LONG LIVE: 56 pts. - Sallen: 46 pts. - CodyOnTheBounce T.V.: 49 pts. - Munamana: 12 pts. - Rue's sis: 20 pts. - Mooni: 12 pts. (Yes, you're epic!XD) - snoozinghamster: 4 pts.  
**

**********************************************************************Disclaimer: Don't own THG):  
**

**Chapter twenty four- Die Young**

**Faythe Sanders**

The visual of the hand-made shuriken going into her throat still floods my mind. My friend, my _best_ friend, is dead. She's never coming back home. She'll never get to finish out her life. She won't be able to get married and have kids of her own, she won't be able to see her little brother at his first Reaping. She won't.

I now have a strong vendetta for the District of Three. All of its tributes, past present and future, will be hated by me after yesterday's outcome.

We won't be able to see each other again. We won't be able to be there for one another after a heartbreak, we won't be able to have our sleepovers any longer. We won't.

**Evans Sherewup**

Alabaster, you dog, you. Always the one to get the ladies. I didn't think that you'd die at the hands of a sadistic female, not to mention that she managed to steal a kiss from you before you died.

It was a sick joke that the Capitol had pulled before your body just gave in. Sending you a birthday cake just moments before your death? Clever. The white roses? I saw them, Snow. I know it was _you_ who was basically congratulating the mental albino from 6 on managing to take down a career with years of training.

It's strange, though, how I can still feel his presence here with me, his best friend. Like he's practically sitting on this lovely couch with myself. I don't mind it one bit, because I know that out of all people he could choose to follow in spirit, it was me.

**Dava Lee**

It's been days since you've left this earth, Corta. Emelia and I miss you dearly, you do know that, right? You're off living with mom and dad now, though. Are you happy there? What's it like? When you got shipped back home two days ago for your funeral, Emelia lost it. It's the first time I've seen her show true emotion for a few years now.

Yesterday was your funeral, it was very pretty. It was a usual District Three funeral, dear Corta. But my oh my, it was beautiful. Your favorite wildflowers were placed at your simple headstone, Corta. You would appreciate how many people actually cared about you, little sis. You weren't as 'weird' as you had thought everyone had imagined you to be. A little girl came up to me with a gorgeous dark purple flower, like the shirt you left the Reaping in. She told me to give it to you, Corta, so that you'd remember her, even though you two had never met. I'm sorry, sis, I'm getting emotional. But have you seen that little girl around the District before? She seems to remember you, and she looked a lot like you did at her age, as well.

I'm waiting for when the District Two boy receives his final living breath, Corta. He took you out quickly, though, and I'm glad he did. I laughed when you attacked him from inside that tree, sis. I actually cheered for you. You were kind to that girl from District Nine, just like you've always been, little Corta. Remember what mom used to tell us everyday: Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye.

**Alice Angler**

"I can't! I just can't do it!" I cry aloud, smashing another one of mother's nice china plates against the floor, "Why did you have to fucking _go_?!" The glass cuts my bare feet raw, making more red slits appear. The rest of the family has begun to ignore my bursts of outrage at your death. They know that after a while, my throat will start to hurt and then I'll proceed to give up.

My black hair is wild and in a tangled mess, but I don't care. I miss you. I need you. But the Capitol took you from me, Breandan. Why can't you come back. I let out another scream, grabbing one of the broken shards of china and tear the skin down my arm.

When I finish, it messily reads: 'I miss you.'

**Author's note: Yup, so this was basically an emotional review chapter:L hahaha So, I see that you guys were weirded out by Morphine's weirdness last chapter Cx haha, it's truly unexplained, like, I don't even knowXD So... Death toll**

**Alive Tributes: Cameron, Marco, Venicitiy, Morphine, Kitsch, Jaylan, Bull, Ivy, Melodie  
**

**Dead Tributes: Thalia, Alabaster, Melanie, Corta, Breandan, Phin, Kellmer, Cubix, Gardenia, Riley, Blazene, Joseph, Poppy, Isaac, Rhine  
**

**Did you guys like how this chapter was formatted?:o I'm willing to do one more like this if you do:) (Sallen, I skipped Melanie for your sakeXD) REMEMBER THE POLL, GUYS!  
**

**~Adrienne~  
**


	25. Rememberance

**************************************************************************Well thank you, Sallen, for being the only person to review on my last chapter ;~; XD hahaha jk, I still love you guys:3 So, thanks to everyone so far that's sent in a tribute. That means- Sallen, Munamana, & goldie031!:D I love Kael, Aaron, Sarah, & Lavender!^-^ I appreciate your help!:) If anyone else wants a tribute (or to reserve a district) PM me please!:D I have the form ready!:3 Before you ask- 2 tributes are entitled to a person:) Also, sorry about the shortness of this chapter!DX But I really wanted to update. I've been EXTREMELY busy lately. Yesterday, I drove out to O'Hare airport to see my uncle who's in the military before he flies out to Alaska to live with his wife:3 so yeah, yesterday wouldn't have been a good day to updateDX But yeah, enough of that-  
**

**************************************************************************Iwasscreaming LONG LIVE: 56 pts. - Sallen: 50 pts. - CodyOnTheBounce T.V.: 49 pts. - Munamana: 12 pts. - Rue's sis: 20 pts. - Mooni: 12 pts. - snoozinghamster: 4 pts.**

**************************************************************************Disclaimer: Don't own THG!:P  
**

**Chapter twenty five- Remembrance**

**Mrs. Raven Tallow**

You probably didn't think I truly cared about you, didn't you, Phin? I'm sorry, honey. No, an apology isn't enough to bring you back. Your father and I worked so hard to support you, but we were never truly there for you. I'm sorry, Phin. I wish you were here now with us. You were our only child, and we should've cherished every living moment with you.

When you died in the bloodbath at the hands of a career, my stomach dropped. I felt like my entire life was over, Phinnie, I really did. It was a much worse feeling than when you were Reaped, and that feeling alone was horrible.

I really miss you, there really isn't any other words to describe how I feel. I've been at a horrible loss of words, since my loss of you.

**Delia Zick**

"I _hate_ you, Gardenia Darold. I hope you rot in hell!" I growl, chucking a dulled-down cutting knife into the worn hardwood floor of my cramped room. Ever since Kellmer was murdered at the hand of her axe, I've wanted her blood. But she's gone now, and I can only hope she's burning in the deepest pits of-

I stop myself from thinking such things and brush a brown ringlet away from my face. Tiny, nearly microscopic beads of sweat formed over my brow and I gently wiped them away.

I'll be training, Kellmer, just for you. I'll make my appearance in the Games and win, just for you.

**Jackson Stones**

I regret every little mean thing I've said to you, Isaac. The Hunger Games just didn't feel real enough to me until you got Reaped. I could've volunteered for you, you know, but I was scared stiff. It was like I had somehow forgotten how to breathe, talk or move in general. I'm sorry. I'm _so_ sorry. I feel like such a filthy person now because of how I treated you all these years- like you didn't belong, like you were the black sheep of the group.

Don't worry, Isaac, if that Ivy Fields manages to return home, I'll make sure she gets it. You got that? That was mutiny what she had performed. District _mutiny_.

I bet she didn't know it's highly looked down upon in District Eleven. Well, she will when I get my hands on her. Don't doubt that at all.

**Author's note: I know, I only featured 3 people this chapterXP DON'T STONE ME! It's just that when a tribute dies, I usually just get rid of their tribute info to save space on my dinosaur-desktop (SallenXD), so these were the only people I could actually pull up/remember. Sorry if I had to skip over your tribute!DX Death toll time!**

**Alive Tributes: Cameron, Marco, Venicitiy, Morphine, Kitsch, Jaylan, Bull, Ivy, Melodie  
**

**Dead Tributes: Thalia, Alabaster, Melanie, Corta, Breandan, Phin, Kellmer, Cubix, Gardenia, Riley, Blazene, Joseph, Poppy, Isaac, Rhine  
**

**Kay, so, I have a sponsor question today!(: (The last one, EVAR! It's opinion-based, sorta): What are you being for Halloween (if you celebrate it)? I'm being Kagamine Rin(: Ordering my costume today, and I'm going to the Halloween store in my town to get the wig, makeup, etc.  
**

**~Adrienne~  
**


	26. Drown

**Hi! Sorry I disappeared for so long!DX I've just been so busy- no, actually I've been really lazyXP but I've gotten this chapter up!^-^ So after this, we're at the final eight:O kay, start placing your bets guys!  
**

******************************************************************************Iwasscreaming LONG LIVE: 60 pts. - Sallen: 54 pts. - CodyOnTheBounce T.V.: 49 pts. - Munamana: 12 pts. - Rue's sis: 20 pts. - Mooni: 12 pts. - snoozinghamster: 8 pts.**

******************************************************************************Kay guys, after the Feast chapter(s), you will NOT be able to sponsor any more! So if you really want to sponsor a tribute, PM me:)  
**

******************************************************************************Disclaimer: Don't own THG  
**

**Chapter twenty six- Drown**

**Marco Quarry**

"We should split. We're coming down to the final eight, after all." Kitsch tells me, placing a hand on my shoulder. I nod.

"I understand. Wouldn't want to have to come down to the two of us to kill each other off, right?" A half-smile crosses my face.

For the first time ever, I think I see a smile on Kitsch's face, but I'm not quite sure. "Yes." She says, "That would be quite horrendous. But I suppose I would have to do what would have to be done."

Was she insinuating that she would turn on me if we were the final two? Would she have killed me earlier on, too? No, Kitsch didn't seem like that type of girl.

An awkward silence hung above us for a few seconds, "Well… I guess I should get going…" I say, grabbing whatever belongings I had left.

"Yeah… Bye…"

We split in opposite directions- me, walking away from the forest, and Kitsch, walking deeper into it as the rain fell even harder (if it were even possible) in sheets.

Walking. Walking is all I've done for an hour. I don't want to rest just yet, no. Not until I've found a more secure spot.

_Hissssssss- _

The sharp noise brought me to my attention immediately. I am not fond of snakes, and I don't intend on being bitten by one any time soon.

_Hisssssssss-_

Where is the damn thing?

A sharp pain in my left ankle interrupted my thoughts. I didn't think before I reacted, I just picked up the nearest rock and smashed it upon the Rattlesnake's head. Ugh. The bite is already throbbing… Great.

It doesn't help that I'm completely out of anything that could possibly help me either. Fantastic.

**Melodie Dunne**

I crawl into the deepest crevice of the cave I can find. They can't hurt me if they can't find me. No possible way. I find a small space in the wall and place myself there, beginning to cry hysterically. It makes me sound crazed and absolutely insane, but I don't care, I need to let out some pent-up feelings.

There was water creeping around me from outside, flooding the cave slowly. It didn't seem to be of a threat, though, since I didn't plan on staying here that long.

I was only going to stay here for a few minutes, but my eyes felt heavy. I just gave in and fell asleep, thinking it would just be a short cat nap.

* * *

When I woke, I felt drenched. In fact, I'd be less moist if I jumped in a pond. That's when I noticed the immense amount of water _everywhere_ around me. How long was I out for? Urg, that doesn't matter. But my only exit is already sealed off with water, my air pocket is slowly shrinking- the end is near.

'_Don't panic, don't panic.' _I mentally remind myself, _'Panicking leads to more oxygen consumption and that means bringing death closer to me.' _Maybe I can try digging myself out, the exit only has a thin layer of fallen rocks in front of it anyway.

I intake a huge breath of air and dive under the murky water, but return to the surface quite quickly. There's no way I'd be able to do anything in this situation. I can barely see my hands under the water before me, that's how dark and dirty it is.

Panic mode starts to set in, and I let out a helpless scream, "Help! Help me!" The water crawls closer towards my face. It's at my chin now, slowly creeping closer. I press my face to the top of the rocky ceiling, it creates pain and pressure, but I do my best to ignore it.

The water's now nearly at eye level. Mentally, I begin to say my goodbyes- mom, Sky, Sapphire, Lucie and Del. Then I remembered Tory, I'll be seeing her soon. That's an upside to this horrible situation.

My eyesight's filled with the gross, dirty water. I can feel my oxygen slowly leaving my body. I try to hold onto every last bit of life before the fire starts burning in my lungs, begging for air that I can't give. My heartrate slows dramatically and my head starts pounding. I feel myself drifting towards the bottom of my hole-in-a-wall, hitting the bottom and seeing nothing but a bright light.

"…Melodie…? Is that you…?"

"Tory…?"

**Author's Note: RIP Melodie;-; I didn't wanna kill her, but I was going absolutely NOWHERE. So yeah:P Death toll!**

**Alive: Cameron, Marco, Venicitiy, Morphine, Kitsch, Jaylan, Bull, Ivy  
**

**Dead: Thalia, Alabaster, Melanie, Corta, Phin, Kellmer, Cubix, Gardenia, Riley, Blazene, Joseph, Poppy, Isaac (Little Creeper), Melodie (welcome to the club), Rhine  
**

**So yeah, I did a little sisterly reunion at the end to tie it all together:') Also, if you still wanna submit tribute(s) (up to two per person) for my next SYOT, these are the spots that are open-  
**

**D1- both, D2- girl, D3- both, D4- both, D5- girl, D6- both, D7- boy, D8- boy, D9- boy, D10- both, D11- both, D12- both  
**

**If you want the form, PM me!^-^ Thanks!:D Also, Happy Veterans Day (in America), and Happy Remembrance Day (in Canada, am I correct?).  
**

**~Adrienne~  
**


	27. Hangman

**Such a short chapter, and I'm extremely upset with myself about this. But don't worry, if you guys want more death and excitement, I have Christmas Break in two weeks!:D I think I'm getting a new computer for Christmas, so I'll be able to write more often!^-^ Anyway, one p.o.v. this chapter. I didn't really know where I was going with this-.- Je ne sais pas. (If any of you can decipher that easy French, then brownie points for you!) So yeah. Hints to upcoming chapters- leglessness, tons of blood, SECONDARY BLOODBATH!, and a finishing chapter!:D Also, I still have a few spots open for my next SYOT!:D And (no, she's not paying me), Sallen is starting a new SYOT as well!:D It's called Born to Run!^-^ Go check it out:3 lololol kay, I'm done.  
**

**********************************************************************************Also, nobody's been sponsoring. So if you wanna send your tribute something, tough nuts broski.  
**

**********************************************************************************Disclaimer: Don't own THG  
**

**Chapter twenty seven- Hangman**

**Jaylan McCarty**

I've made it to the final eight. That has to count for something, right? I mean, not _everybody_ from District Eight has made it this far. Of course, there's Madi Littlecreek from two years ago who was our victor, and then there was Justin Ortice who was in the final four before he got blown to smithereens…

Thinking about Justin's death makes me wonder about how other tributes died. I remember Beau Cloth as well- skull completely shattered by a blow from a tomahawk belonging to a certain District Six female. Or maybe from last year, District Six's very own Obel Moore, who had a gruesome and painful death, will jog anyone's memory of how horrible our nation is. The tiny Polar Bear cub looked so innocent… So harmless… It wasn't until I had peeked out from behind my hands that I saw the carnage. His entire chest was stripped clean of its skin. There were broken ribs and his still barely-beating heart was completely exposed to the outside world. And then Sparky Forks took him out of his misery.

It was something horribly vivid. Blood. Blood everywhere.

I must've been so very caught up in my thoughts not to notice the pale, bloody hands crawling around my neck, inching around my face. Panic did not entirely set in until I couldn't feel my own feet when I tried to kick myself away. My neck cracked loudly as the offender turned my head to go face-to-face with her own. Morphine. That damned bitch killed Poppy.

"Awh, hi! It's been a little while since we played last! But… you play rough. I was taught to _never_ play rough, my friend. But I'll forgive you." Her voice peaked far past the innocence level, when she was the exact opposite. "I have a new game. It's called Hangman. But without the guessing! Doesn't that sound fun?!"

I could feel my eyes double themselves to the size of saucers at her words. Hangman.

"Don't you have anything to say? Talk to me a little- if we're going to be friends, we have to get to know each other!" Morphine smiled, exposing her perfectly arranged teeth. "Nothing? Okay. Well I _guess_ we can start playing… Oh!" She paused to stand up and grab the knife I had earlier supplied her with. Such a dull and idiotic move on my part…

"First, we need a rope. But we seem to not have any! Your ally friend wouldn't happen to have any, would he?"

I lazily shake my head as best as I could. When she cracked my neck, my head's been buzzing like crazy. "B-Bull hasn… Hasn't been w-w-with me… Me after we lost o-o-o-our friend… Poppy… He's go-"

"Sh! You talk too much! I'll just get my own. Sheesh…" Morphine reminds me of an overgrown, bossy child. It would be quite comical if she wasn't currently trying to kill me off. "I'll just use my hair. It's long enough _and_ it's already twisted like a rope!" She flashes a sinless grin, then proceeds to cut her long, blood-dyed hair off. When she finished, she tyed the chopped end to create a braided rope. I wish I could move right about now. I'd use her hair against her, suffocating her to death.

"_Oh._ We're short a few inches…" She looks around and finds a withered vine lying off to the side. Morphine snatches it off of the ground and intricately weaves it into the braid, ultimately making a perfect noose in the end. "Now, don't squirm! It will only make it harder for both of us."

My left arm is twisted in her grasp as she hefts me up while my head lolls to the side. That's when I begin to accept the fact that I'm going to die.

It happened so quickly, though. One moment, I was in Morphine's weak, sickly hold- barely being held up by her skinny figure. The next, I was in the noose. Living in District Eight, I've seen my fair share of hangings in the square. Sometimes it was shoplifters, other times it was for more serious crimes.

Life. Just… Draining… Oxygen was leaving… pressure… everywhere. Gone.

**Author's note: Bye Jaylan. Sallen will miss you dearly with your 'Yeah?'. Don't worry. You'll make a comeback, trust me;) Woah woah woah, was that a SPOILER to my next horror-themed SYOT?:O Lol, don't worry, I'm not gonna bring him back to life as another tributeXD anyway, death toll!:D**

**Alive Tributes: Cameron, Marco, Venicitiy, Morphine, Kitsch, Bull, Ivy  
**

**I'm getting really tired and I need to get in the shower, so I can't be bothered with the dead right nowXD But you all know who they are by now:P (Rest in piece...s...) Anyway- really quick, here are the open spots for my next story:  
**

**D1- Ade Foster, girl-open  
D2- Aaron Stone, girl-open  
D3- both open  
D4- both open  
D5- Kael Lee, girl-open  
D6- both open  
D7- boy open, girl- Cille Halseen  
D8- boy open, girl- Lavender Dreamcoat  
D9- boy open, girl- Sarah Lilac  
D10- both open  
D11- both open  
D12- both open**

**Also, I please ask that you send me fighters, as well. These tributes are amazing, but I need some hardcore, bloodthirsty, Morphine-esque people too!^-^ haha k, I'm goooone!**

**~Adrienne~  
**


	28. Legless

**UGH! This chapter is shorter than the last one! What the hell is wrong with me?! T-T ... Well, all I have to say is that if you're EXTREMELY squeamish, this chapter is not for you. Although I tried to tone down the blood, gore, and violence a bit, it's in my nature that I _have_ to write an extremely horrific death every other tribute:L  
**

**Disclaimer: Don't own THG D:  
**

**Chapter Twenty Eight- Legless**

**Cameron Derell**

I jump to attention when a cannon resounds through the area. There's swift footsteps as well, but I can't tell who it is in the lack of light. It couldn't possibly be Venicitiy, she's perched in the tree above me. I don't waste a second in pursuing the tribute. Whoever it is, I'm finishing them off.

In one hand, I clutch my spear. In the other, a large knife. I can faintly see a female figure running in front of me, and I take the chance of spearing her.

Spot on.

She lets out a lovely, satisfying scream and drops to the ground. I carelessly walk over to her, trying to find out who it is- Ivy Fields. She gives be a death glare when I kneel beside her crumpled figure.

"You're done for." I bluntly state as I forcefully thrust the knife into one of her thigh, leaving a large gash that oozes blood.

Ivy bites down on her bottom lip as I continue to carve into her legs. I eventually reach the bone, and my hands are slick with blood.

"Just… stop…" She pleads pathetically. The smirk on my face just grows as she cries out.

"Have you ever seen your own bones before, Ivy?"

Weakly, she lifts her head and shoots me an absolutely digusted look.

"Or would you want to be legless?"

Her eyes double in size as I stand up and bring my foot down on the exposed bone with much force. Then, once more on the other leg. That's when she finally lets out another cry, and I kick her over onto her stomach.

"Y-You're a mon… monster…!" She shouts at me.

I raise my eyebrow at her, "Hm? What's that? You want to be speared _again_? I like that idea too!" I pause. "I'll give you five seconds to start crawling away."

"Urg…" Ivy looks down at the ground, but pulls herself across the parched ground, leaving large pools of blood in her path.

"One…"

"Two…"

I laugh in-between counts as she slithers off about five more feet. I've got to give it to her, Ivy is a lot stronger than I've given her credit for.

"Three… Four…"

Right before I start to say 'five', I grasp my spear. Ivy starts to move faster, her legless bottom half laying limply and uselessly behind her.

"Five."

Her body drops dead as the spear enters her neck. I travel over to her hideous corpse to regain the spear and a newfound wave of pride hits me.

'This_ is my ground.' _I think as her cannon goes off.

**Author's note: Lovely, wasn't it?:) Hahaha~ I kind of got the legless idea from one of Pewdiepie's videos, where he plays 'Witch's House'. Lololol^-^ so, yeah. The list didn't change any for my next SYOT. Also, this-**

**Alive Tributes: Cameron, Marco, Venicitiy, Morphine, Kitsch, Bull  
**

**Six left... Oooooh! Three girls, three guys. So the odds are pretty even. Who do you think will die next?;D Haha, uh, also, the feast will come after the next chapter^-^ Toodles!  
**

**~Adrienne~  
**


	29. Fête d'une partie du sang

**Okay, so here's part ONE of two Feast chapters. This story will be finished soon, so if you still want to submit a tribute or reserve a spot, PM me the details!:D So I really didn't know where I was going with this chapterXD And also, the chapter should translate to something like 'Feast of Blood part one' in French or something along those lines:L Trust me, I only know little French and I used Google translate for the rest. So give me a break, ffs. ANYWAY- onto the chapter!:D  
**

**Disclaimer: Don't own THG.  
**

**Chapter Twenty Nine- Fête d'une partie du sang**

**Third-person**

When Ivy Fields' body gave in, a loudspeaker interrupted the quiet arena. "Well look where we are now, dear tributes. The final six. …I suppose it's time for the usual feast."

Bull Fields' head quickly lifted itself upward at the sound of Claudius Templesmith's voice, and began packing whatever he had left of his supplies. "Like I always say- it's best _not_ to refuse this offer. Who knows? Maybe there'll be something in your bag that'll help you… _survive_."

How could anyone forget after last year? Sparky Forks' bag held explosives that helped him win the Games, after that, nobody wants to play hookie with the Feast.

"Well… Let's not forget the fallen tributes…" Faces of the dead reappeared for the last time in the night sky, and then disappeared after the anthem finished. "I suppose that's it for now. The Feast has begun, _and_… may the odds be ever in your favor."

Venicitiy Corbinette grabbed her pack before her supposed _ally_ could make his return. She didn't care what her future consequences would be, just as long as she could get to the metal horn first and leave. Perhaps she could manage to steal someone else's bag like Ayriana Silvern did last year… _'No…'_ She thought, _'I wouldn't stoop that low. I'll take what I need. No reason to be greedy…'_ She raced away from the campsite and dashed off towards the Cornucopia.

When Morphine Andrews had heard about the feast, she too had rushed to arrive at the site first. As she playfully pranced her way there, she marvelled at the way her skin glistened with sweat and dried blood in the moonlight. Soon enough, Morphine could see the golden horn in the not-too-far distance. Her heart raced with excitement and adrenaline at the thought of murdering another tribute with her own hands. Her last kill didn't satisfy her enough, however, for it was an easy kill- excluding the fact that she had to heft up a tribute who was taller than she. The possibilities she kept thinking up were endless…

Kitsch Hirsch could honestly care less about the Feast, however. She only saw it as another bloodbath… and this one wouldn't be as easy to escape from. The smaller, more defenseless tributes were no longer around, and that would mean she'd have to go face-to-face with the tributes that had actually decided to play the game, rather than avoiding them like before. Kitsch lets out a sigh, gazing at her long, capped off nails that were similar to that of a cat's claws. The Capitol life, her previous life _before _she made the escape to the districts, was just so boring and, even though it was definitely colorful, droll. She didn't quite understand what that life was all about, neither did she care.

Cameron returned to camp, blood splattered over himself from Ivy's gruesome death. His eyes shifted back and forth, searching for his so called partner, but Venicitiy was nowhere to be found. "That two-faced _bitch_." He spit the word out like acid, "Once I get my hands around her dainty little neck, she'll be sorry…"

**Author's note: Sorry it was so short :c But I'm just trying to get to the point. There will probably be a few chapters uploaded in-between now and New Years day, so yeah. Also, Happy Holidays!:D Christmas is on Tuesday!:) And then my sister's birthday is Wednesday:O speaking of which, the little brat comes home from Florida today:P okay, enough of my rambling, toodle-loo!XD**

**~Adrienne~  
**


	30. Toxins

**Hello Internet readers~ I am back, and this story is nearly finished! Sorry I have taken nearly a month to upload this, but my great-grandma passed away on the Monday I was supposed to be uploading & I didn't feel up to it. Sigh. I'm ready to take on this story and finish it though!**

**Disclaimer: I've said it a thousand times jfc**

**Chapter Thirty- Toxins**

**Marco Quarry**

I push my dark hair off of my forehead and lean against the rock behind me. It was time for the feast. I wasn't even going to go, I could barely get up. My body was so weak from the snakebite and I have nothing to at least slow down the infection. At this point, I've pretty much accepted my fate. I knew I was going to die. Maybe if I had some medicine… No, it's already too late for that now.

Lately, I've been getting sudden swings of dizziness and head rushes. It did get rather annoying after a while, but there was really nothing I could do about it to be honest. I would just have to let the toxins run their course.

My head was pounding; I was sweating badly under this horrendous sun. My joints were a bit sore, and I noticed they had begun to swell. My heartbeat was becoming irregular- it would skip every other beat it seems. I closed my eyes and attempted to take deep breaths to take my mind off of the inevitable. How I wished the rain was back- to feel it on my dying body and rid me of this heat. Instead I was stuck with these sweltering, strangling temperatures.

At this point in time, my body was literally wasting away to nothing. I was already skinny due to lack of food, but now I was just turning into a bag of bones. The pains in my body were like fire- only adding to the roasting heat that I lay down in.

I reopen my eyes to meet the blue sky and stare upwards, mouth agape and searching for life like a fish out of water. My arm reaches up, as if to try and grab something, anything, a lifeline of sorts.

That's when I felt it. Death's presence is in reach. It looks just like stories have described it- tall, looming, cloaked in black. It was terrifying, indeed it was, but at this point I really didn't care. In fact, it was a rather welcoming sight. Death. Hah. At least after this I would be out of pain and misery.

Death reached his bony, skeleton-like hand out to me and I took it. I felt an out-of-body experience then, as in I could see my dead, withered, emaciated body propped up against the rock. It was a sight for sore eyes; I wanted to look away as I heard my cannon sound. I did it. I was out of these gruesome, appalling games. Not necessarily alive, but I was done with this torture.

**Morphine Andrews**

I leaped and bounded across the dry field carelessly. I've made it so far- so close to coming home. But what, exactly, did I have to really win for? My eyes made contact with my blood-stained hands and I smiled. Killing felt so good. After all these years of being experimented on, I could finally let out my pent-up aggression where it actually means something. I reach out for my small, nearly useless, pack…

My body's picked up and thrown quite some ways away from the golden horn. I smirked, so this is what it comes to?

"Well," Says the District Two boy, Cameron, "You've made it here too? Lovely." He spat the words out with so much acid and hate all while lifting my up by my one toothpick-thin arm. I didn't mind, though. If anything, this was nothing compared to some of the murders I've committed.

I simply nod. "Lovely, I am."

Cameron lets out a dark chuckle and harshly drops my body against the ground. He sets a foot down on my arm, grinning. "You love pain, do you not?"

"Oh but of course." I respond truthfully.

That earns a streak of beautiful pain across my cheek and a tight grip on my neck, removing his foot's weight from my arm. I wasn't scared in the slightest as I knew what was happening. It wasn't a big deal. I was rather excited, really. By now, I was being lifted to the point where my feet couldn't reach the ground. My hands didn't bother to make an attempt in escaping. This was it. I didn't mind.

"I guess you won't mind if I kill you off, then, right? Just tick off another tribute from the already diminishing list?" I close my eyes and smile.

"Go ahead."

**Author's Note: Alright! Two down. Nearly finished! Sorry if this chapter seemed a bit rushed, I really wanted to get this up. But yes, Morphine and Marco are dead. Sigh. What a shame- Marco was a very brilliant tribute. I liked him. And Morphine. It may not seem like it, but I liked her character a lot. I like it when people send in tributes like that!^_^ Okay, goodbye!**

**~Adrienne~**


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